Just Like Clockwork
by CocoSushi
Summary: Lucy has always had a taste for adventure. At her great-aunt's house, she stumbles upon a strange watch that whisks her back to the Cold War, stuck as the only girl on an island with a bunch of boys. Discoveries are made that can alter the future forever.
1. Tick Tock

**A/N: It's cliche and been done a gazillion times before, I know. This story is a little different than the ones out there, but never mind what I think. Read & Review :)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine... seriously.**

**Just so you know, anything that you find confusing will be cleared up in later chapters and this story takes place sometime around the present to the near future.  
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Just Like Clockwork

_She heard their voices drawing near. Louder and louder, they came!_

_"Come on! Work, you stupid thing!" She whispered frantically, shaking it. It must happen, it had to happen. She was not going to die here. _

_"Please! Please..." At that, the golden watch began to vibrate, the clock hands turning rapidly rotating backwards._

_"There she is!" A boy shouted._

_The island behind her was all a blur as full scenes opened up before her eyes. Jack's face was looming over her, a smirk upon his face. Piggy was twitching hopelessly in the sand. Roger was pushing the boulder. And Simon, oh Simon, and all of that blood. The littluns were dancing and chanting wildly. Samneric were crying out about the beast on top of the mountain. The boy with the birthmark was being engulfed by flames. And Ralph. Ralph was there, patting her on the arm. Ralph was building the shelters. Ralph was blowing the conch._

_Faces spun around her and the Lord of the Flies laughed manically in her ears._

_"Running away now, are we, Lucy?" She heard Jack mock, but he was slowly growing fainter and fainter._

_This was it, she thought as the world around her split open, sending her spinning and spinning through a whirlpool of light._

_ And then there was nothing._

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Chapter One- Tick Tock

Someone kill her now.

Was it possible for one to be so bored?

Lucy Everard and her mother were spending Sunday afternoon at her great-aunt Eliza's house, as they did every week. That was fifty-two times a year and two hours a visit. Let's see, fifty-two multiplied by two was a hundred and four hours she would have to spend yearly until the day she died. She turned twelve in April and had already spent approximately 1,248 hours of her young life listening to her old-fashioned, uptight relative who insisted on serving them crusty danishes with their tea!

Aunt Eliza was obsessed with their family history and liked to talk about how her great-grandfathers and grand-uncles served courageously in the navy, braving storms, uncharted islands, or something of that sort.

Lucy might have thought those stories could have been rather exciting, at least if they were being told by someone else. Coming from Eliza Everard, they were just lengthy twenty-page passages taken from a dusty school textbook.

Mother was not the least bit understanding. She forced her to come with her. Lucy expected that the only reason was so she wouldn't have to sit through the monotonous ramblings alone.

Apart from being dreadfully boring, the little lectures were also rather gruesome, as her aunt often described violent killings in great detail. Today's murder was about several schoolboys tearing at one of their friends after mistaking him to be a wild animal.

"And the blood poured out of him just like _that_!" Eliza said, emphasizing the last word with a bang on the table, causing Lucy to jump, spilling tea all over the scratchy pleated skirt that she had been forced to wear every time they came here ever since Eliza had deemed her jeans and beat up trainers 'simply improper.'

Her mother reached over and took the tea cup from her hands. "Oh dear, you better wash it off before the stain sets in!"

Her great-aunt waved her away, saying, "You know where the toilet is!" Then, she started talking about how her deceased brother, Ralph, was a smart boy who could time travel.

Lucy seized the excuse to escape and swept from the room. It was certain. The old woman was batty.

Still, she could not help be admire Aunt Eliza's home. It was a rather large manor with stone walls, cozy fireplaces, and hallways that she could lose herself in. Tiptoeing up to the fourth floor, she entered the bathroom she liked best.

The walls were painted a pale lavender and the towels were embroidered with a fancy silver "E". Grabbing one, she dabbed gingerly at her clothes, wondering if Eliza had always been completely mental.

Sighing, Lucy examined her skirt. Hopefully, it would be damaged beyond compare and she would never ever have to wear it again. She cheerfully tossed the wash cloth down the laundry chute, recalling the time a few years ago she slid down it on a dare.

She remembered all the times she searched the house on her little expeditions. She doubted that there was anywhere she had never been, any nook or cranny she'd never explored. But what if there was? Mischievously, she grinned and quietly shut the bathroom door behind her. She wouldn't be missed.

Leaving no cupboard untouched and no drawer unopened, Lucy got to work on the top floor. This task, after twenty minutes, proved rather unsuccessful. She tapped the walls, looking for secret passageways. She rummaged through trunks, scanned through letters, and checked under beds.

Yet, she found nothing extraordinary.

Disappointed, she huffed and leaned hard against the wall of the narrow corridor, only to be hit in the hit with something small and wooden.

"A handle!" She exclaimed, following the string to its attachment on the ceiling. Lucy pulled on it and stepped back, as a rather large chunk of the ceiling had been lowered down to the floor, revealing a rickety set of stairs.

It landed on the floor with a thud, sending a cloud of dust flying everywhere. She sneezed and carefully made her way up to the hidden room.

A rather small attic awaited her. It was filled with all dozens of crates, photographs, and knicknacks- everything jumbled up in a disorganized fashion and covered in a thick layer of dirt and who knows what.

Lucy was in heaven.

She set several boxes aside and pushed her way through the mess to the one, tiny window in the corner. The musty smell was suffocating. Opening it all the way, she took in a deep breath and clapped her hands together. There had to be something, anything. A trinket of some sort. She would know it when she saw it.

Starting with a pile of newspapers, she flipped through them, practically losing herself in the stories. Her family was listed in most of them, the ones about war heroes, survivors, and martyrs.

"Perhaps Aunt Eliza isn't so batty after all," Lucy murmured to herself and looked up, momentarily distracted by a flash of gold in the corner of her eye.

Hanging on a nail in the wall was a pocket watch. It called to her, so she picked up, turning it over in her hands. The clock face was peculiar. It had the numbers one through twenty on the outer circle and one through 99 on the smaller circle.

The hour hand was pointing at 19 and the minute hand was at 55. Perhaps it was broken?

Lucy held it an inch from her nose, examining it closely. This watch was special, no doubt about it. She gave it a squeeze, hoping it would speak to her in some way.

She found herself asking to be taken away on a real adventure. _ I must be going crazy too_, she thought, laughing nervously.

With wide eyes, she felt it shake so violently, it almost jumped out of her grip. Her knees gave way as she started to spin around and around. Flashes of color and light whipped past, as if she were on the carousel from hell.

"What's happening to me?" Lucy screamed as she fell into a never ending pit into darkness.

Darkness.

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**A/N: Tell me what ya think! Should I continue?**

**Even if you didn't like it, you all get a free hug. I happen to be in a very good mood today :)  
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	2. Lost Time

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for reviewing! Now here's the second chapter for ya ;)**

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**Chapter 2- Lost Time

Lucy awoke with a jolt, rising much too quickly. She winced, suddenly feeling nauseous. What just happened?

"Not so fast, there. You might hurt yourself," came a kind voice from behind her.

Startled, she whipped around, now aware of her surroundings. It was a redheaded boy and his dark haired companion.

"Are you all right?" the boy asked, stepping towards her.

Looking around, she saw that she was in some sort of jungle. The sky overhead was a clear blue and the tall trees provided shade that looked so inviting in the summer-like heat.

But it couldn't be. It was only November back home.

Slowly, Lucy stood up and backed away. "I must be hallucinating. It's all a nightmare, right? _You're not real_," she said breathlessly, more to herself than to the boys.

The redheaded boy's expression was a cross between confusion and amusement. The dark haired one showed no emotion whatsoever.

"You're probably just shocked. The plane crashed when they sent us off, remember? That's why we're all here," he said.

She blinked. "A plane?" There hadn't been a plane. There had been a watch...

She scanned the dirt for a spec of gold, but it was no where to be found.

Lucy was stuck here.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no..." She whispered, rocking back and forth on her heels.

The boys exchanged glances and the friendlier looking one cleared his throat.

"Maybe you ought to come back to camp with us."

Swallowing, she nodded and allowed herself to be led down to the beach, her panicked mind too jumbled up for organized thought.

Good god! What had she gotten herself into?

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"This is rather, erm, unexpected," said the leader.

Lucy stayed a little while away from the group, drawing pictures in the sand. Clearly, they were trying to figure out what to do with her. They must have thought she was deaf, because she could hear every single word they were saying.

"What do you reckon, Piggy?" The leader turned to the boy with glasses and a rather large stomach.

Piggy shrugged. "Well, she can't do much, that's for certain."

She jabbed the twig she had been doodling with into the ground.

The redhead who'd found her threw up his hands. "Must she do anything, Ralph?"

Ralph raised an eyebrow. "Of course, Jack! All of us must do something. How else are we to survive until they come for us?"

"There's got to be _something_ she can do," Piggy said, scratching the back of his head thoughtfully.

Jack's friend, Roger, finally spoke up. "Well, she can't go off hunting with us."

"Or tend to the fire," said the twins.

"Or get water from the river."

"Or build the shelters."

"And she most certainly cannot be chief," Jack said, glancing at Ralph.

Chuckling to herself, Lucy stood up, brushed the sand off her skirt, and turned to the boys.

Unbelievable.

"You don't think I'm capable, do you?"

Jack turned pink. "I didn't say that."

"No," she said calmly, "But that's what you were implying. God, that sort of sexism hasn't been seen for years."

She paused. Something just clicked. "By that way, what year is it exactly?"

He blinked. "You don't remember?"

The fat boy, Piggy, pushed his glasses farther up the bridge of his nose. "Amnesia, that's what it is! When you fell, you must have hit your-"

"She wasn't talking to _you_," Jack said, cutting across him. What on earth had brought that on?

"It's 1955," he said, answering her question.

Why, that was decades ago! This was scary. Why did those numbers seem so familiar?

That watch had done this. The watch... The watch! The hands were pointing to 19 and 55! How would she explain this to a bunch of strangers?

Silence passed over the children until the quietest, nicest looking boy stepped forward.

"I think, er, what is your name?" he asked her.

Lucy was too surprised to be annoyed that none of them had thought to ask who she was.

"I'm Lucy," came her soft reply, deciding to keep the rest of her identity a secret. There was no way she was telling anyone just yet.

"Well," said the boy to Ralph, "I think Lucy can figure out how to help us herself."

The chief shrugged. "All right with you, then?" He asked her.

"Sure," she said, distracted. It was all too weird.

"Assembly adjourned," he declared and the boys began to scatter about the place.

Jack took her from the platform to the lagoon, saying that he'd show her around.

Happily, she kicked off her shoes and dipped her feet into the cool water. It felt lovely.

Lucy had uttered very little ever since her discovery and he was absolutely hopeless when it came to small talk.

"You know," she said, looking into Jack's eyes for the first time. "You probably thought I was insane, the way I acted earlier."

He laughed. "Not quite. I knew you were just scared."

His eyes were blue. And worse, they were nice.

Lucy flushed and pretended not to notice. "I was not!"

"Was to!"

"Was not!" She argued, splashing him.

Dog-like, Jack shook the water from his hair and whipped his shirt off. Once again, she was so busy trying to appear indifferent that she hardly realized what he was about to do.

"Don't you dare!"

He grinned impishly and dove straight into the water, drenching her completely.

Lucy leapt to her feet.

"That... was not very nice," She sputtered.

He swam over to her. "You're already wet. Why don't you come in? Or maybe, you're too _scared_ to," he mocked.

"Oh yeah?"

And with out a thought, she ran and jumped in.

She surfaced, laughing and pushing her dark hair away from her face.

"That was... wizard," He said, smiling stupidly. He was looking at her oddly.

Lucy sent him a look. Did she have any much in her hair?

"What is it?"

Jack turned away, embarrassed.

"It's just... Other girls wouldn't have done that."

She couldn't help but smile back. "I think you'll find that I'm not like most of the girls you know. Trust me."

"Good," he said and helped her out of the lagoon.

That boy was certainly _something_.

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**A/N: Okay, this story is going somewhere, I promise. **

** I'll update soon, too! **

**And don't forget to review :)**

**Hey, that rhymed!  
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	3. Play Time

**A/N: Wasn't too happy with the second chapter. I wanted to redo it, but I got too lazy :P Here it goes...**

**And thank you very much for reviewing!  
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Chapter 3- Play Time

Not good. Not good. Not good.

"Don't cry! It's alright, Percy. I'm sure it's all ju-"

The rest of her sentence was drowned out by little Percival's wail.

Once again, Lucy resisted the urge to walk away and let the brat sort it out himself. Everyday, her mind was in a constant battle with her heart. It was either tell the boy to shut the hell up or to comfort him.

Her heart prevailed in the end.

Sometimes, she wished her mother had not taught her to be so caring. She was at her wit's end, having to always quiet the littluns. Was there no stop to the perpetual flow of tears?

Life on the island left a lot to be desired. Lucy missed being able to watch television, to eat home cooked meals, to sleep in her own comfy bed. She even missed having to go to school!

What was wrong with her?

Good God! Was Percival still crying!

Lucy softened up when she saw how innocent he looked, sucking his thumb and sniffling to himself.

"There, there," she said and gave him a hug. "No more sand?"

"No more sand," Percy answered cheerfully and went back to building sandcastles.

Lucy turned to the other little boy standing behind her and looking very nervous.

"Was it really necessary to toss sand into your friend's eyes, Johnny?"

Johnny looked at his feet and mumbled, "No..."

"Why don't you go say you're sorry, then?"

The little boy raised his head. "Do I have to?"

Exasperated, she sent him off. "Of course you do! Now go on!"

Johnny frowned and trudged down to the beach to give Percival a half-hearted apology. She knew that he wouldn't hate her for chastising him. That was the best thing about littluns. Their moodiness lasted a very short while and in an hour, they'd back and happily playing with each other.

Back home, Lucy was an only child and one of the youngest of all her cousins. It was nice to be in charge for once.

She preferred the company of the small children to the ones that were her age. Jack was always off hunting, at least two were tending to the fire, and Ralph and Simon were taking care of the shelters.

Occasionally, she would help them, but she would leave at once if Piggy came around.

Lucy didn't mind the boy at first. It was just that he was so fascinated with her 'amnesia' that he kept pestering her about it.

"So you really don't know why you were on the plane?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Can you recall your last name? Favorite side dish? Birthday? Shoe size? Social security number?"

And so forth.

Lucy lied and gave the dry reply of "No... no... I do not recall."

How on earth could she tell this fat, brainiac of a boy who she really was?

It was her secret, and it would remain her secret until she had all the answers... Or until she had her adventure.

But that was another secret entirely.

Sighing, she started towards the sorry looking huts to assist Ralph when she heard someone call her name.

"Lucy! Hey! Wait a sec! LUCY!"

Oh god. It was _him_.

She ducked her head nonchalantly and quickened her pace, just to hear Piggy wheezing behind her.

Only then did she take pity on the boy and waited for him to catch up.

Panting, he trotted up next to her and straightened his specs.

"My auntie doesn't allow me to run. I've got-"

"Asthma, yeah. I know," Lucy said, trying not to look so bored.

Piggy grinned. "Well, I was walking a bit and I got this idea, but I needed to make sure it's for certain. Is it true that you-"

"Alright there, Lu?"

_Thank you_, Ralph.

Lucy smiled warmly at him. "I suppose. The shelters are looking better now."

Ralph shrugged. "I just wish the littluns had helped a little more. You know, get the job done faster."

"Oh, I've tried to get them to do a lot of things! They just don't seem to listen," she said, throwing up her hands.

"Not all of us can do what you've been doing. You're really good at it."

She let out a laugh. "Uh, I wouldn't be too sure of that."

"It's hard, is it?"

"Well, not as much now that there aren't as many of them... " Lucy trailed off, not wanting to talk about the boy with the birthmark who had so mysteriously disappeared in the fire. The boy who spoke of the beastie.

He patted her arm in a brotherly way.

"It's hot. C'mon, we can all use a break."

The three headed to the lagoon, where Simon and Maurice were hanging about. Ralph went in for a swim while Piggy simply wandered about.

Lucy stayed under a tree, fanning herself in the shade. She was watching Simon float about in the water. He was an odd one, definitely. But she liked him.

After some time, Ralph came out of the pool and joined her. Most unfortunately, Piggy followed him and began to talk about making a sundial.

She didn't need a sundial. She needed a watch. Sighing, she leaned back against the tree.

Like herself, the chief appeared bored and uninterested, and he made it quite plain. Piggy just kept misinterpreting the message.

Nudging him, she whispered, "For someone so smart, he is really rather dull."

At first, she felt bad for being so mean. Then, Ralph smiled at her. And she forgot all about manners and her heart.

No adults to reprimand her for foul language or snarky comments. She might as well have a little fun.

After telling Piggy to shut up about the sundials, Ralph helped her to her feet and they jogged back towards the water.

Lucy was glad to feel the oceans coolness, to hear the sound of waves crashing. She leaned back in the water next to Simon and closed her eyes.

She wouldn't mind being stuck here for a while.

It was something out of a dream. Subtract the whiny kids and the lack of food, it was perfect.

Wrenching her out of her reverie came Ralph's shouts.

"Smoke! Smoke!"

Lucy jumped out of the lagoon and sprinted to him, as did the others.

"I can't see no smoke, Ralph. Where is it?" Piggy exclaimed.

No one told him to shut up that time.

She stayed silent as the confusion ensued. It all happened so slowly. The boys' panicked expressions meant nothing. Her mind didn't seem to register that there was a ship in the distance or the fact that they might not have a signal fire until Ralph broke off into a run.

Her legs urged her to follow and she was sent flying after him, stumbling all the way up the mountain. Pushing herself until she finally reached the top.

Lucy gasped and almost knocked Simon and Maurice over when she came to a stop.

Behind Ralph was a pile of burnt logs and ash.

The fire was dead.


	4. Feeding Time

**A/N: Interesting. I can actually log in now! I was practically hyperventilating. Three days without fanfiction is like three days without food.  
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**And I pretty please review. They are my motivation to keep writing more, because will power is usually not enough for me!**** Reviews are the peanut to my butter, the jelly to my fish, the apple to my eye. Before I get too carried away...  
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Chapter 4- Feeding Time

"They let the bloody fire go out."

Lucy had never seen anyone so angry before. It scared her.

"Ralph," she said tentatively. "They'll be other ships. We can still be res-"

"There they are," he spat out, not seeming to hear her.

She followed his gaze to the group of boys walking along the beach below them, with Jack as their leader. Good God! What were they carrying?

Between Samneric was the dead body of a pig, hanging from a steak. She gagged.

"What are they saying?" Lucy asked Simon, as they came near the mountain top.

Holding their breath, they all paused to listen.

"_Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood._"

Lucy watched in awe as Jack's face came into view. He had painted his face a variety of colors, perhaps as some sort of camouflage.

She couldn't help but miss his freckles and began to think that he was taking his job as hunter a bit too seriously.

Dancing and waving their spears about, the boys went on to describe the thrilling attack, completely missing their chief's cold demeanor.

"You let the fire go out."

She watched as Jack scrambled to explain why he had to take Samneric along for the hunt. It was a just a mistake. A huge and terrible mistake.

"There was a ship."

Jack stepped back in horror and realization suddenly passed over him.

Ralph went on, his voice shaking with anger, stabbing knives through the air with each word.

"There was a ship out there! You said you'd keep the fire going and you let it out. They might have seen us. We might have gone home!"

Piggy let out a cry and brought himself forward.

"Piggy, no!" Lucy tried to reach for his arm. He was only going to humiliate himself even more, and perhaps make matters worse.

"You and your blood, Jack Merridew! You and your hunting! We might have gone home-" He started but was at once cut across by Ralph.

"There was a ship-"

"The job was too much. We needed everyone," came Jack's excuse.

A littlun had begun to cry and Lucy reached for his tiny hand. He sniffed and hid his face in the folds of her skirt.

_Don't get involved. Don't get involved._

She bit her lip to keep her from blurting out that they were all idiots and they should just forget about the whole thing.

Self control- a lesson she now wished Piggy had learned.

The boy had spoken out again, and this time was approved by several of the the other children.

"You didn't ought to let the fire out. You said you'd keep the smoke going-"

"You would, would you! Fatty!"

She saw the look of agitation on Jack's face as he struck Piggy, sending his specs crashing down on the rocks.

Lucy gasped. While he was an annoying smart-aleck, he did not deserve this.

He sent him a glare through his broken glasses.

"Just you wait!" Piggy threatened.

Jack proceeded to mock him shamelessly. "Just you wait? Ha!"

His hunters laughed and he continued to imitate Piggy blundering about the rocks.

Apart from being idiots, they were bullies. All of them. Though, Lucy wouldn't allow herself to hate Jack for being so unbelievably cruel.

And she hated herself for it.

It was just like her to get worked up over nothing. Little conversations here and there was what they were. Acquaintances. Friends.

Normally, Lucy would never like a boy, not that way. But Jack was different from the boys at home. Powerful. Intriguing. Another adventure.

She would never expect someone like him to be able to apologize just as he did. Not only did she fancy him. Now, she admired him.

And she hated herself even more.

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Ralph would not talk. He would not talk nor move. He stood there like a statue.

Jack, however, remained calm and happy about the whole thing, or at least tried to appear so.

Lucy could see that things between the two would not be as they were a few weeks ago when she first arrived here. Still, no one knew about the watch. Even she, who once could barely keep a secret for more than an hour, did not dare utter a word about it.

She joined the circle surrounding the new fire, watching in disgust as the pig was being hastily cut into pieces, which were placed on sticks and roasted. Only then did she realize just how hungry she was.

It was just like sausages or bacon. Just not as appetizing.

Harold, who was sitting next to her, looked at her curiously. "You don't like meat?"

Letting out a laugh, she carefully picked her meal out of the fire. It was taking too long to cook. She would have to eat it half-raw.

"I do, just when I don't have to look at its mutilated body."

He opened his mouth to reply when Piggy, hopelessly unaware Piggy, looked at the pig, his mouth clearly watering.

"Aren't I having none?"

"You didn't hunt," said Jack coldly.

"No more did Ralph, nor Simon."

_Nor me_, she added in her head, suddenly feeling guilty. She was about to persuade Jack to just give him a bloody piece when Simon offered his own to him. Once again, Jack shocked her by flinging some meat at the poor boy.

"Eat! Damn you!"

Lucy nearly dropped her chunk as his outburst.

"I got you meat! I painted my face, I stole up. Now eat- all of you!"

Not having to be told twice, she quickly tore off a piece, trying to hard to swallow it without choking. Why was he acting like this? He was changing into something else. She didn't know what to think.

_I'll calm him down_, she thought. _It's just been a long day. He'll be fine tomorrow. He'll-_

Just then, the boys began to retell there story again, this time running around and dancing making pig noises. She backed away from the chaotic reenactment, confused and overwhelmed.

Maybe it wasn't just him. Maybe it was... everyone.

_"Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her in."_

It went on like that for a while. The hunters seemed to forget that they were people, not animals. They forgot about everyone else until the chanting finally died away.

"I'm calling an assembly," Ralph said, emotionless. "With the conch. I'm calling a meeting even if we have to go on into the dark. Down on the platform. When I blow it. Now."

Lucy watched as he stalked down the mountain to the beach. She wouldn't follow him just yet.

The children were frozen. Lucy joined Jack in the center of all of them, his smile fading.

"Do you blame me?" He asked, not looking at her.

Yes.

She hesitated.

"No."

He turned away. "You do. Like Ralph, you do."

"I don't. You got a pig, like you said you would." But you also let the fire out. "You're the best hunter on the island." Even though you're a horrible leader. "And, I have to thank you for it."

Slowly, he began to look like the old Jack.

To lighten the moment, Lucy turned to Phil, the littlun standing closest to her.

"Do you know what sunsets are good for?" she asked him, with a teasing smile.

Phil shrugged. "Not really."

She looked with him with a look of exaggerated wonder. "Why, for dancing, of course!"

He eyed her quizzically. "Dancing?"

Smiling, she went on to explain to the bunch, and she did so rather dreamily. Often, she was not the type who had her head in the clouds. Tonight was an exception.

"Well, one minute you're do-si-doing about in the shadows, and the next, under a colorful sky! Do you know how to dance, Phil?"

The boy shrugged again. "Not at all."

"I'll teach you then!" She said and took his hands. They probably looked ridiculous, as Phil only got up to her waist. No matter! Lucy knew it was working and she wouldn't stop until it did.

She began to lead him in a waltz, humming and counting as she showed him the steps.

The hunters picked it up quickly and began to sing along.

Phil giggled and followed her energetically.

Encouraged, Lucy spun around and around in the darkness under the trees, only to be caught in the sunlight by someone much older and stronger than Phil.

Jack bowed, grinning at her teasingly. She responded with a small curtsy and he placed his hand on her waist at the same time she held the other one in her own.

Daintily, she rested her palm on his shoulder and away they went.

One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three.

The rhythm consumed them. It was everywhere, whether in the shadows or in the light.

"Well, aren't you a gentlemen. I didn't know you could dance," she said, mildly impressed.

"I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?" He said happily.

He had no idea.

His blue eyes were sparkling now. They didn't hold that icy gaze, like how it was earlier.

"You know," she whispered so that no one else could hear. "You're a much better partner than Phil."

"You're not so bad yourself," he said as gave her a twirl. Her skirt fanned out around her. Thankfully, she had the sense to wear a pair of shorts under it as well.

They continued that for a while, not realizing that the music had stopped and most of the boys had already headed down to the beach. Lucy didn't care. She liked him. She liked him a lot.

And suddenly, as though someone had so jerkily pulled the breaks, they stopped. All was quiet.

_Say something_.

"Jack," she began timidly. "What do you see me as?"

He frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Like a friend or acquaintance..." Or more?

Lucy bit her lip when he didn't answer right away.

"Just... a girl."

"_Just_ a girl?" She scoffed.

So much for that. Now she had completely made a fool of herself! She whipped around, prepared to storm off to the assembly, never to speak to Jack Merridew ever again.

And that was when he caught her arm.

"To me, you're just a stubborn, impatient, confusing sort of girl," he said, before quickly adding, "...who also happens to be rather nice looking."

She paused.

"You think I'm pretty?" She felt a smile creep on to her face.

Jack turned pink. "I didn't say that."

"No, but that's what you were implying," she lilted.

He looked too embarrassed to say anything more. She jumped at the chance.

"Well Jack, to me, you are a hot headed, temperamental, relentless boy... who also happens to be rather nice looking himself."

Grinning from ear to ear, he reached for her hand. "I think I'll take that as a compliment."

And that was when he kissed her.

* * *

**A/N: Now don't get me wrong, but this story won't be all fluff. Though, I thought this chapter was pretty cute, but it was a little rushed. Sorry for that!  
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**Now, click that button down there and tell me what ya think!  
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	5. Time to Doubt

**A/N: AHH! Sorry it's taking me so long to update. I've been very, very busy, and sadly, my muse has run away. I'll try to get to it sooner next time! LOVE YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING! *blows kisses***

**Seriously, I really appreciate it :)  
**

**Oh, and Gabriela Romero, yes that thought did occur to me. I have honestly no idea why I put that there, other than it was the most random thing I could think of and it seemed to fit. Also, I was kinda hoping everyone would just skim that part and forget about it XD**

**Anyways... Enjoy!**

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Chapter 5- Time to Doubt

"Where have you two been?"

Lucy shrugged. "No where."

"What have you been doing?"

"Nothing."

"What took you so long?"

"No reason."

"Why-"

Jack cut him off with that cold, authoritative glare of his that Lucy could not help but be jealous of. "Shut up, Fatty!"

Piggy opened his mouth to retort, but closed it, his expression changing to a look of disapproval as Ralph's grim-looking form came closer to the platform. The boys began to assemble around him, all quiet and nervous in his presence.

Jack grabbed Lucy's hand and took her to sit with him and the rest of the hunters. She looked at Piggy, the only one remaining standing.

"Aren't you going to join us?"

He shook his head, not uttering a single word.

She was about to press the subject, when Jack looked at her sharply.

"Let him. That pig! Thinks he's better than all of us," he hissed in her ear.

Smiling weakly, she all but agreed. "Yeah, I guess."

Ralph cleared his throat. "The thing is, we need an assembly."

As he went on, the littluns kept giggling and poking each other and God knows what!

She sighed. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Fear.

Now that was a word Lucy hated. It reminded her that she wasn't invincible or anything of that sort. That she was a little girl, and that's all she'll ever be.

What was she afraid of, exactly? Death, of course. Heights, wasps, humiliation. And, she was afraid that the boys might think that she was a mental case fresh out of the asylum. Of course, they had no idea.

But fear of monsters? Not so much.

Jack was going on about the so-called beast, blaming the littluns for bringing it up in the first place. His aggressiveness had startled her at first, but Lucy quickly learned that his mercurial attitude was nothing out of the ordinary for kids their age.

Lucy could not wait to grow up. She was tired of being forced into sitting through boring old family dinners, going to school, having a bed time. It all drove her mad!

How she wished she would be the one giving orders for once. In that way, she envied Ralph. He was practically glowing with leadership qualities that she had never possessed.

How she wished she was a boy.

No, boys were horrible. All fidgety and loud. Not Jack, though. Jack was different. Jack was special. Jack was...

Lucy sighed dreamily. Was this really what it was like to be in love? She knew what her mother would say- that she was too young to know of such a feeling. There it was again. Too young, too naive, too anything-but-an-adult.

She could feel her eyes beginning to glaze over. Was the meeting almost over? What time was it? Instinctively, she was going to ask if anyone had a watch, but immediately pushed the notion out of her head. No, she must not think about that.

Looking up, she saw the littlun whom she had gotten to dance with earlier receive the conch. Intrigued, she sat up, and for the first time, listened.

Phil proceeded to tell them about a horrible dream he had the other night, about those dreadful twisty things hanging in the trees.

"And I was frightened," he said, "and started to call out for Ralph and then I saw something moving among the trees, something big and horrid."

Now that was slightly creepy, Lucy had to admit. She automatically slipped her hand into Jack's, who gave it a squeeze. A few other boys noticed and looked quite revolted at the sight of it. She rolled her eyes. Immature children, that's what they were. Not her- she was practically a teenager!

Ralph insisted that it was only a nightmare. Inwardly, she wanted to agree with him, but there was something tugging at the corner of her mind. Something, like a shadow. It was saying something- but what?

Lucy longed for tomorrow to come. Things were so much better in the daylight.

"You were asleep," Ralph continued. "There wasn't anyone there. How could anyone be wandering about in the forest at night? Was anyone? Did anyone go out?"

Then, Simon stood, odd and quieter than ever before.

"You! What were you mucking about in the dark for?"

She noticed Simon's hands clutching the conch. His grip looked so tight, as if he was afraid the stupid shell would be stolen from him. "I wanted to go to a place- a place I know."

At two o'clock in the morning? Lucy stared blankly at the conch, trying to make sense of it all.

"What place?"

"Just a place I know. A place in the jungle."

Jack, smug and superior, cleared it all up for the group. "He was taken short."

Short? What on Earth was that supposed to mean?

Realization passed through her face as she heard the boys' hoots of laughter and the embarrassed expression Simon now wore. Finally, she understood.

"Ugh," Lucy exclaimed, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "That's disgusting!"

By then, most of the noise had died down quite a bit, only to send them all in a fresh fit of giggles. She lowered her head, guilty for adding to the boy's humiliation.

It wasn't her fault that they all talked so differently than she did. The slang they used- _wacco_, _wizard_, taken _short_. How the heck was she supposed to know what they meant?

A little while after, Ralph turned to his lieutenant. "Well, Piggy?"

"There was another one. Him."

She watched as the littluns pushed whiny Percy to the front, small and shy and close to tears. What could he possibly have known the others didn't? For heaven's sake, he could barely utter his name without breaking down hysterically!

Percival Wemys Madison's wails pierced the air, and to Lucy's discontent, several others joined him, forming a sadistic sort of chorus.

She rubbed her temples and squeezed her eyes shut in attempt to block out the noise.

"Good God, will someone _please_ put an end to this insanity?" She cried out to no one in particular.

Thankfully, Maurice- good,_ sweet_ Maurice, came to the rescue. His tomfoolery brought smiles to the dear littluns faces and she was finally able to regain her senses.

Jack, once everyone realized that it was an assembly there were having and not a circus, made himself heard.

"And what about the beast?"

She sighed. She had hoped they would have forgotten about that nonsense by now.

Percival let out a big yawn and staggered about for a while. He was tired, for it was way past his bedtime. She was just about to suggest that they all tuck in for the night when Jack began to shake the little boy roughly.

"Where does the beast live?"

Poor Percy's eyes widened with fear, his mouth hanging open. No words came out.

Of course, Piggy was the one to jeer. "That's a clever beast if it can hide on this island."

"Hush Piggy!" She snapped, irritated that he had single-handedly stirred up several comments when all Lucy wanted to do was listen to what Percival had to say.

Behind his glasses, he squinted. "Oh, sorry. I forgot that you two are _together _now."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Yeah, that's right."

Piggy turned away and muttered, "Of course Jack gets the only thing on this island worth anything."

Lucy's face went slack. Was that what she was? A symbol of power, with a value equal to the conch or the knife?

She spun around, her face flushed and eyes flashing. She wouldn't believe it. She refused to.

And that was when Jack uttered the words that her mind refused to let her forget.

"He says the beast comes out of the sea."

* * *

It was ridiculous. Everything about it. She knew there was no such thing, but why was the shadow still there?

The boys' theories about the whole matter were rather comical, indeed- like squids that could walk on land and eat whales whole. She laughed at its stupidity.

Simon's answer was what scared her, not the beast.

_"What I mean is... maybe it's only us."_

God knows what he meant by that.

If Lucy was so confident that there wasn't any monster, that they were all safe from harm, then why was she still lying awake, staring listlessly at the roof of the hut, asking questions that no one knew the answer to?

"Jack..?" She murmured, touching his arm.

"Hmm?" He answered sleepily, turning around to face her.

"There's no ghost on this island, right? No beast or anything that could..."

"If there was, I'd find it and kill it. You know I would."

"I know that, but I just..." Why was this so hard to ask?

"Cripes Jack," she said at last. "Do _you_ think there is a beast?"

Jack didn't speak for a while. He stared at her for a few moments before sighing dramatically and saying, "I really don't know, Lu."

Gently, he pushed a few strands of her messy brown hair away from her face and settling back down on the ground and closing his eyes.

"G'night Lucy."

"Night Jack."

For a long time, she watched his sleeping form that lay next to her, no closer to an explanation than she was before. Jack Merridew was certainly one of the most confusing people she'd ever met.

On that note, Lucy leaned back, and with the ocean's lullaby playing softly in her ears, finally let sleep claim her.


	6. In Good Time

**A/N: I have yet to think of something witty to say... Or not.**

**Oh well, R&R and I'll try to update more frequently!! Yeah, that's right. I bribe people :)  
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Chapter 6- In Good Time

"Jack- Jack, wake up!"

"Get up, now!"

"Oh, c'mon, Lucy!"

Lucy slapped the hands that had so rudely shaken her from her sleep away and rolled over.

"Leave me alone," she mumbled crankily. She had been having a rather interesting dream, something about Jack riding in on horseback and rescuing her from the evil boar who had killed Simon and Piggy.

All this talk about monsters and hunting, no wonder!

The accursed hands kept persisting, driving the girl off her rocker.

"What the bloody_ hell_ could you possibly want?" Lucy exclaimed. She rubbed the grogginess out of her eyes to see Samneric standing above her, both looking rather frantic indeed.

"Ralph's calling an assembly-"

"-with the conch-"

"-about the beast-"

"-it was awful!"

"The beast, you say?" Jack was already on his feet, a spear held menacingly in his hands. Roger and Maurice quickly followed in the same suit. All looked anxious and eager, fear barely visible upon their faces.

He held his hand out to her.

"Well?"

She took it with caution. This wasn't good. Not at all.

* * *

Lucy marveled at the way the twins finished each others sentences like that. It was like their minds were connected, or maybe their vocal cords. Whatever. Either way, it was _wizard_.

In ways, she was glad that she was an only child. No one to fight for the bathroom with, no one to steal your clothes, no one to yell at for eating the last cookie. Though sometimes, she yearned for a brother.

She glanced at Ralph. He was frowning at Samneric as they retold their thrilling brush with danger. Cocking her head to the side, she noted that he reminded her of someone she knew. Someone from back home.

Had she seen a picture of him before? Perhaps in that eerie attic?

No, it was probably just the lighting or something. She had just met Ralph a few weeks ago. There was no way...

Jack jumped to the center of the circle.

"This'll be a real hunt! Who'll come?"

Ralph looked impatient.

"These spears are made of wood. Don't be silly."

He had a point.

"Frightened?" He sneered derisively.

Unabashed, Ralph shrugged.

"Course I'm frightened. Who wouldn't be?"

Lucy sighed. Things were falling apart faster than you can say 'apocalypse.' And she would give anything for some masking tape and superglue to fix it.

* * *

"Will you make me a spear? Pretty please?" Lucy pleaded, widening her eyes to make them as cute and innocent as possible.

Jack looked up from his breakfast, which consisted of a couple mangoes and half a coconut full of water.

"Why on Earth would you need one?" He asked, bewildered.

"Because I'm going with you! On the search, to find this notorious beast. That's why."

Several of the boys doubled up in laughter. She scowled.

"Aw, Luce. You can't be serious."

Coolly, she replied.

"Why, yes. I am."

That just caused them all to laugh some more.

"You can't come along," Jack said, with the patience of one talking to a small child. "You're a girl."

Lucy resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Well observed."

He sighed and thew the remains of his meal to the side. Wiping his hands on his tattered shorts, he stood up and said, "You can't come. Really, you can't. There's scary things in the jungle and-and..."

Ralph butted in.

"And we need someone to help watch the littluns."

"That's what you expect me to do, is it? Stay here with the one-eyed encyclopedia and a bunch of huffy, tearful brats?" She scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest disdainfully. She wanted to throw a tantrum.

Suavely, Jack kissed her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Awkwardly, Lucy rested her head on his shoulder. She felt all fluttery inside. The whole couple deal was very new to her.

"This is a hunter's job," he said softly in her ear. "And you're no hunter."

Lucy contemplated it in her head. He was right, so very right, as much as she hated to admit. She didn't even know how to use a spear, not to mention she had the aim of a blind toddler with two left hands.

At last, She sighed with submission.

"I suppose you're right."

"Aren't I always?"

She laughed and hit him playfully in the chest.

"Just don't get killed, will you?"

"Well, I'm not making any promises but..."

Lucy pushed him away, a stupid smile on her face. "Oh, go on and catch your beast already."

Ralph patted her on the head like a dog.

"Good luck," he said, motioning to Piggy, who was chasing around (or at least attempting to) Johnny and Phil, who thought it would be absolutely hilarious to steal his specs and threaten to toss it into the ocean.

She fixed her now even more mussed up hair and replied. "Yeah, you too."

He frowned at the back of Jack's head as he strode with great importance into the jungle and started to follow him. The others quickly scampered after them.

"Bye Lucy!"

"See you soon!"

"Can I have a kiss, too?"

She waved them away impatiently.

"_Goodbye now._"

Good God! You would think they'd be traveling around the world, not venturing to the other side of the island.

Roger had been straggling a little while behind the others. He glared at her icily as he brushed past, before jogging to catch up. Lucy shivered. What had she ever done to him?

Slowly, she made her way back to the platform, where Piggy was sitting, eyeing the little boys with much distaste.

She hated this. She hated Piggy. She hated herself for giving in to Jack so easily.

She was Lucy. She _liked_ to prove people wrong. At least, that's what her mother told her.

Turning her gaze to the horizon, she wondered. What exactly had this boy done to her?


	7. Win and Winnow

**A/N: Word to the wise: Never wear pair shorts with sneakers on a scorching hot summer day while wandering for hours in a crowded park. Chances are, you will get a really awkward tan line around your ankles. I learned that the hard way.  
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**Anyhoo, let's get on with it. Read and REVIEW!  
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Chapter 7- Win and Winnow

Piggy was sitting alone in a hut, sulking and looking rather miserable. Lucy, still breathless from playing tag with Henry, Wilhelm, and Johnny, swallowed her pride and set off to ask him to join them.

"Piggy?" She asked tentatively, waiting in the entry way.

He only wrapped his arms around his knees and sniffled.

"Oh, go away."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Well, _excuse me_ for wanting to be nice for once!"

His head jerked up and he squinted at her from behind his glasses.

"Nice? That's how you call it, is it?"

"I'm not exactly pushing you into rocks, so yeah," she retorted, regretting her decision to invite him already.

Now that got him all riled up. Piggy stood vehemently, his face red, and wagging a finger in her direction.

"No, but you let your little boyfriend do that! You haven't been at all friendly to me since you got here- you and all the others. Y-you're horrible, Lu-Lucy!" He sputtered, before promptly breaking out into tears.

Lucy jumped back, utterly horrified, while Piggy continued in wrenching sobs.

"I-I got s-s-o many ideas but nobody d-don't w-an-na listen. A-And you and Ralph m-make fun of m-me too. I-I'm just t-trying t-to help, b-but no! N-nobody likes m-me. NOBODY!"

He muttered mutinously under his breath, hugging his knees and wallowing in self-pity.

And then there was silence.

"Piggy?" She tried again, knowing it was completely wasted effort. Besides, she didn't feel comfortable helping this overgrown baby solve his bullying problems. He looked around ten, maybe older. He could deal with it on his own.

"_Go away!_"

Lucy took this as her cue to run. Maybe this is how he dealt with it.

* * *

When she returned to the platform, the littluns had quickly forgotten their game of tag and were happily playing another. Not that she minded, of course. Lucy always hated running.

"Lucy!"

As soon as they caught sight of her, they all scrambled to hug her knees. She laughed. As annoying as they could be, they were awfully sweet. Sometimes.

"Come play with us!"

"Yeah, yeah! We're being pirates. It's real fun, Lucy."

"I'm Blind Ian Barbarossa!" Percival exclaimed, remnants of his shirt tied over his left eye.

"I'm Bart Drake! I'm better than Barbarossa," Johnny said, causing him and Percival to embark in an imaginary sword fight.

The others cheered them on, yelling the few sea terms that they actually knew. Even she joined in. She would never tell, but Lucy always wanted to be a pirate. Ever since she saw _Curse of the Black Pearl_.

"Quiet, you lousy scallywags!" Phil shouted. He placed his on his hips and glared at them all. "I'm in charge of this ship, and whatever I say goes."

He swept over to Lucy and bowed clumsily.

"Captain Randal Cutler, at your service."

She giggled. They were all just too cute. Oh wait, she had to play along.

"If you are captain, then who am I?"

The others laughed heartily and Phil replied.

"Why, little lady. You're our prisoner!"

"Prisoner?" She gasped in mock horror.

Then, the self-proclaimed captain introduced her to the rest of the crew. Lucy didn't even bother remembering all their pretend names. There were just too many of them.

One of them, Wilfred, remained quiet. Something told her that he was no pirate.

Lucy approached him.

"And who are you, Willy?"

He grinned toothily.

"I'm Samuel Attucks Knots, the noble Englishman sent to rescue you!"

Johnny jumped between them.

"Not if we can help it!"

And Phil joined him.

"Get 'em, boys!"

They all began to fight each other, seemingly forgetting who was a pirate and who was not and simply dueling those nearest with their 'swords'. Lucy watched them as they happily swung at each other, missing on purpose. At least, that's what she thought. Otherwise, their aims were atrocious.

Pirates lived a good life, she decided. At least the mini ones.

Then, she felt someone grab her hand. She turned around in surprise.

"Why aren't you fighting, Willy?"

He only tugged at her, smiling shyly.

"I'm your rescuer. I gotta get you to safety!" He said, proud to be bestowed with such an honor.

The littluns, still engrossed in their battle, barely noticed as he led the way from the platform to the beach. He was a clever one, this Wilfred, and she commended his bravery with a pat on the head.

"You've done marvelously well, Samuel Knots. Thank you," she replied as regally as the could muster.

He tipped an invisible hat to her.

"Just doing my job, Miss Lucy."

* * *

The cool night air swept past her brown hair and through the trees. The moon had already risen and sent light dancing across the water. A single bird warbled out a mournful song in the distance.

_Lonely?_ Lucy asked the bird in her head. _Me too._

She missed the gossip, the sleepovers. She missed making fun of Diane Keebler and giggling at Tommy Bishop's jokes. All her friends from back home, all her family. They weren't here now. She wasn't even sure if any of them existed yet.

Sighing, she paced the coastline, kicking sand as she went. She hated being the only girl. For one thing, she couldn't talk about Jack to _just anyone_. First of all, who on the island could she describe her first kiss to? Roger?

That boy really didn't like her, and she hadn't the slightest idea why. Perhaps he was just unfriendly.

Whatever. Lucy didn't care about what he thought about her anyways. Or did she?

Her troubled thoughts were quickly interrupted with the sight of Simon jogging across the beach, his usually pale face flushed from running. And suddenly, she was worried.

"Simon!" She cried out in panicked urgency, all sorts of questions fighting their way out of her mouth. "Is everything alright? Is Jack alright? Are you hurt? Where's everyone? Where's Ralph?"

Impatiently, she waited for him to catch his breath so he could answer in a calm and collected manner.

"They sent me to tell you and Piggy that they'd all be back after dark, so you wouldn't worry," He began, but Lucy cut him off.

"So _I_ wouldn't worry? They expect _me_ to play nanny to the littluns when it's well into the night, half of our tribe is on top of the mountain going after some killer monster that is threatening the entire island, and they expect me _not to worry?"_

Simon hesitated for a moment before answering.

"You really think there's something out there?"

Lucy blinked. "Well, Jack thinks there is."

He frowned slightly, searching for the right words in his mind.

"Jack," He said slowly, as if in deep contemplation, "is a clever one. You know what he wants, right?"

"What in God's name are you talking about? He wants to hunt. He wants the beast dead."

She couldn't help but be awfully confused at that last statement, and repeated it silently to herself. That was what Jack wanted. To kill pigs. Right?

He started to explain himself when sounds of running feet were heard in distance. Whoever it was, they sounded scared out of their minds.

"What the hell are you doing back already?" She demanded, watching as most of the hunters clambered on to the beach, panting and hyperventilating in the sand. Scanning the crowd, Lucy realized with a jolt that three of them were missing.

"What happened to Ralph? Where's Jack and Roger?" When they didn't answer right away, her eyes widened in fear. "Good God, you left them up there didn't you? Didn't you?"

And they all scrambled to defend their course of action.

"Aw Lucy, it was so dark out-"

"And we were so tired!"

"The shadows and the creepers, you should have been there."

"We didn't mean to run, Lucy. Honest!"

Lucy covered her face with her hands so they couldn't see how scared she was. "Stupid little boys with sticks," she muttered to herself and led the way back to the platform.

Piggy had finally left the shelter and was leaning against a log leisurely, still miserable, but not nearly as much as before. He sat up when he saw them coming. Lucy stayed silent as they recounted their nightly escapade.

Joining Piggy on the log, she sat. She could only wait.

* * *

"They're back, they're back!" Bill shouted and everyone looked up anxiously.

"Jack!" Lucy ran to hug him, never happier to see anyone in her entire life. However, he didn't seem nearly as ecstatic to see her, just barely returning the embrace.

She peered at him nervously.

"What happened? What's wrong?"

He and Ralph glanced at each other, both now wearing equally grim and frightened expressions.

"We found the beast," Jack replied, earning a collective gasp from the crowd. "It's just as Samneric said it was. It's horrible, with claws and teeth, and-"

"And worse," their leader concluded. "It's alive."

* * *

"What are we going to do," Piggy asked, greatly perturbed.

Ralph, tired and desperate only shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "I don't even think we'd ever fight a thing that size. We'd talk but we wouldn't fight a tiger. We'd all hide. Even Jack."

"What about my hunters?" said the redhead with little emotion, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"As long as there's light, we're brave enough," Ralph went on, Lucy noticed, completely ignoring Jack. "But then? And now that thing squats by the fire as though it didn't want us to be rescued." And he realized the most horrible thing.

"So we can't have a signal fire. We're beaten."

He said it with such finality that Lucy almost agreed with him.

"Oh Ralph," she tried desperately. "Don't say that."

When he didn't answer, Jack repeated himself.

"What about my hunters?"

"Boys armed with sticks," Ralph scoffed, echoing Lucy's angry thoughts when she told off the cowardly search party a little while earlier. She bit her lip, ashamed for even thinking against her boyfriend and his pack.

Livid, Jack grabbed Lucy's hand and stalked away. She nearly had to run to keep up with his long strides as they made their way back to the platform.

"You know he didn't mean it, don't you Jack?" Her voice trembled. She could only guess what was going to happen next.

Seizing the conch, he whipped around to face her.

"I'm sick of listening to him, Lu. High and mighty, giving out orders like he knows what he was doing. Things are going to change now, and I don't give a damn what Ralph says. I'll do it all myself."

Before she could answer, he pressed the conch to his lips and blew on it until every single member of the camp joined the assembly. Lucy then proceeded to quiet the littluns pathetic whimpers so she could hear Jack talk. And she wasn't sure it was a good thing.

She knew where this was all going. She should have seen it from the start. But the day had finally come, and Lucy knew she would have to choose something. There was no in between. Either way, she would be a traitor.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to convince herself it wasn't true. No matter who she stuck to, she wouldn't be betraying anyone. How can it be wrong choosing the person you thought was right?

Ralph was like her brother. He was the better leader, and she knew it. But Jack- he was all she needed on this island. When she was with him, she could forget the heaviness of her secrets and for once, feel safe. If she lost him, she'd lose everything.

_Bum bum._

A drum cadence pounded loudly in her head and she would do anything to make it stop.

_Bum bum._

"Alright then," he said. "Alright."

_Bum bum._

Oh God. Lucy felt like she was going to throw up. Relax, she told herself. It's not the end of the world. Really, it isn't.

_Bum bum._

"Who thinks Ralph oughtn't be chief?"

Lucy held her breath. No one dared move, shocked at what was suddenly asked of them to decide.

"Hands up, whoever wants Ralph not to be chief."

_Bum bum._

His steady gaze swept over the crowd. They locked eyes for a long time, before Lucy broke contact, her eyes flooding with tears. She couldn't stand his sorry look of expectancy that would not ever be satisfied. She wasn't about to pick herself up and follow him to the ends of the Earth. She owed Ralph her loyalty, too, and she knew not to leave him.

I'm sorry Jack, her mind seemed to scream. Not this time.

_Bum bum._

"Alright then."

He was trying to be brave, but no one could miss those shaking hands, the pallor of his complexion. Everyone saw his humiliation and still, no one moved. Not even Lucy.

_Bum bum._

He glanced back at her again, heartbreak etched across his face.

"I'm not going to play any longer. Not with you."

And just like that, the drums came to a halt.

Silence took the land as they watched him storm into forest, leaving them all behind. So he'd done it. He'd left her. But that wasn't what had been bothering her at all. Not even close. They way she saw it, it wasn't a matter of who left who, but who was wrong and who was right.

What if he _was_ the better leader after all?

What if Lucy had made a mistake by not speaking up for him?

Good God. What if Jack was right?


	8. Time to Dance

**A/N: Gasp, sudden burst of inspiration! Must keep typing...**

**By the way, really appreciate the feedback. Review, or I shall go after you with a chainsaw. Just kidding! I don't even think I own a chainsaw...  
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Chapter 8- Time to Dance

"Are you okay?"

Hastily, Lucy wiped her face with the back of her hand. Puffy eyes, blotchy face- it was more than obvious that she had been crying.

"Not really."

No, she was not okay. And at the rate she was going at it, she never would be.

Ralph sat and put his arm around her, only causing her to burst into a fresh fit of sobs. In attempt to comfort her, he pulled Lucy closer and pressed her head against his sunburned chest, allowing her to cry herself out.

"Shh," he soothed. "He'll be back tomorrow."

She shook her head violently. "He won't!" She practically yelled. "He won't! H-He'll never come back, Ralph. He won't!"

He didn't say anything, but simply held her until she quieted. For Lucy, it took quite some time for the waterworks to come to the halt, the hiccups to subside, and the breathing to come normally.

And Ralph had stayed with her for the whole time.

"Feel better?"

Embarrassed for her hysterical display, Lucy only shrugged.

"A bit," She said, her voice slightly hoarse from crying. "But thanks."

"It's nothing." He squeezed her shoulder.

With a sigh, she replied, and rather bluntly. "I'm pathetic."

To her surprise, Ralph laughed.

"Oh Lu, you're not. Really, you're not."

"Yes I am," Lucy said indignantly.

He just kept on laughing.

She sat up, perplexed and having no clue as to what was so hilarious.

"You remind me of my baby sister," Ralph finally said, looking at her rather fondly. "You both underestimate yourselves, you and Ellie." And then he cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "You even look like her, too..."

As he trailed off, Lucy's head snapped up in surprise. She looked like his sister? And for the first time in months, she noticed his eyes. They were an average size, oval shaped, and a startling shade of green.

Her father's eyes.

_My eyes._

Oh God.

"Ralph," She gripped his arm. "Is your last name Everard?"

He looked at her quizzically.

"How did you..."

The watch. Ellie. Time travel. _ Aunt Eliza's brother, Ralph._

Her hands flew up to her mouth as she gaped at the chief in wonder. The jigsaw in her mind was slowly starting to piece itself together. Everything now seemed to make sense.

It was an epiphany, a revelation. Mind numbing, extraordinary, and too much for Lucy to handle. She leapt to her feet.

"Oh my God."

Ralph grabbed her wrists.

"Lucy, what's wrong?" He demanded, shaking her. "How do you know my last name? _Lucy!_"

Their eyes met and just as quickly, Ralph released her, holding his hands up and looking as though he'd seen a ghost.

"You...?"

She swallowed.

"Good God, Ralph. I think I might be your granddaughter."

* * *

Piggy, she hated to say, was not nearly as accepting as Ralph.

"You're batty," He exclaimed. "You can't be his granddaughter. It's scientifically impossible," he said matter of factly, pushing his specs farther up the bridge of his nose.

Lucy felt Ralph push her in front of him by her shoulders.

"Look at her, Piggy. Are you so blind that you cannot see the resemblance?"

With the air of one examining a work of art, he tapped his chin and assessed her.

"Well," he said. "You do have the same nose and and mouth. Blimey, you have the same eyes!" And then he shook his head. "But it _must_ be a coincidence. Plenty of people've got green eyes."

She sighed exasperatedly.

"Can it be coincidence that I just popped here out of nowhere and just _happened_ to look like Ralph? Doesn't it make sense? I find the watch in his sister's attic, it takes me here, and I-"

Piggy interrupted. "Well, where is this watch? If it _exists_, I'd like to see it."

"I already told you," she persisted. "I lost it when I came here."

"So you _lost_ it."

"Oh shut up."

"You first!"

"No you!"

"Gosh, Lucy. Why do you hate me?

"What's to like?"

"Dumb girl."

"Stupid pig."

"Both of you! Stop it!" Ralph shouted. "We have enough to fight over without you two going at it all the time."

That shut Lucy up. She looked at him apologetically.

Wearily, he sat down by the fire. "Oh, just eat your fruit."

Quickly, she obliged, grabbing a mango and thinking. Ralph was her grandfather, who happened to be the same age as her. Nevertheless, a great weight had been lifted from her chest. No more secrets. But they knew.

She sighed. This could take some getting used to.

* * *

Lucy was sick of fruit, sick of this primitive life style. Miserable and still a child, all she wanted was her mother.

Burying her feet in the sand, she tried to remember what her mother even looked like, only coming up with a vague image. Brown hair, like her's but a lot wavier. And her eyes were the color of dark chocolate.

Then she realized that was all that she knew. To her fear, only coming up with a similar picture of her father. Blond hair, green eyes, a lot like Ralph but much older. She couldn't remember her course schedule or the password to her e-mail account or anything.

This was getting freaky.

Adding to her dismay, loud roars erupted from the forest. Lucy looked up in fight, only to see the painted figures of Jack's lot, looking rather sinister indeed. The littluns automatically ran in all directions, a few finding their way to her.

She had no words of comfort for them, for she was afraid too.

She stared as two savages, unrecognizable under their masks, stole the branches from the fire, and took off with them. So that's what they wanted. Lucy was crestfallen. She'd half hoped Jack wanted to see her.

"Listen all of you," He shouted. "Me and my hunters, we're living on the beach by a flat rock. We hunt and feast and have fun. If you want to join my tribe, come and see us. Perhaps I'll let you join. Perhaps not."

Oh, it was so tempting. Lucy was already so tired of waiting for the rescue ship that would never come, tired of waiting for the bathing pool to empty out before she used it, tired of waiting for the littluns to stop crying... Just tired.

"Tonight we're having a feast. We've killed a pig and we've got meat. You can come and eat with us if you like."

Lucy licked her lips hungrily, thinking.

_I'd love to._

* * *

The party sounded loud and rowdy and most importantly, _fun._ Lucy had trekked there alone, long before Ralph and Piggy even noticed she was gone. She was certainly not abandoning them for this lot... At least she hoped not.

It quieted some as she made her way to the center of the lawn. Jack smiled when he saw her and nodded to Maurice, who immediately threw her a piece of meat.

"Thanks," She said, her voice soft and timid.

He merely grunted in reply.

Feeling rather awkward and out of place, Lucy joined the littluns in the corner.

"Isn't it nice here, Lu?" Phil said, his greasy fingers tearing at his meal.

She finished her's rather quickly and threw the bone aside.

"I suppose it is."

The food was delicious, she had to admit, even though it was awfully messy. She stood up and wiped her hands on her fraying skirt in attempt to make herself appear neater. How she longed to be clean again.

In her mind, she was still listing the pros and cons on living on this side of the island. Her thoughts were as conflicted as the sky above. Distant rumbling could be heard for miles, but the rain refused to fall.

Perhaps it wasn't to late to change her decision...

No. Ralph was family, and family came first. _Besides_, she thought bitterly. _Jack seems to be getting along just fine_.

A familiar voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"Missed you."

His breath felt hot against her cheek as he came up behind her.

She refused to turn around because if she did, she would see his face. The face that had lured her in from the very start.

His arms found their way around her waist as he began to trail kisses down her neck. Lucy's heart almost stopped. She knew Jack was almost a year older, but he had never touched her like this before. It scared her.

"Jack..."

"Mhmm?"

"I-I can't." She tried to force her way out of his grasp, which seemed to only get tighter. "Jack, let go. I can't. Stop it! _Jack!_"

In desperation, Lucy elbowed him in the gut and stumbled to the side, stock white with fear. Unfazed and angry, he grabbed her arm, jerking her around to face him.

"What's the matter, Lu? I thought you wanted me to kiss you."

"I do," She protested. "But not like that! We're too..too-"

"What?" He thundered, catching the attention of several of his hunters. "Too young? Is that what you think?" And in a softer, gentler tone, he added, "Well we're not. On my side of the island, we ought to be as old as we want to be."

At that remark, Lucy found herself beguiled into letting him continue, cursing herself for submitting so easily. He always knew just the right words to say. The right moves, the right timing. The right everything.

But why did it all feel so wrong?

* * *

To Ralph and Piggy, it must have been a sight, seeing Jack on his throne in the center of the lawn, his arms wrapped possessively around Lucy, who was positioned uncomfortably in his lap, an artificial smile plastered on her face.

Good God. She felt like she'd just sold her soul to the devil.

Lucy swore she saw Piggy mouth that one faithful word.

_Traitor_.

She squeezed her eyes shut. It was one thing to be accused of such treason, and quite another when you know in your heart that it's true.

Like she had considered earlier, no matter what she chose, that was what she would be. Always and forever, she would be branded.

Lucy Everard was a traitor.

But better to be one and a survivor as well.

Gingerly, Jack pushed her off of him and stood up, waving his spear like he always did.

"Take them some meat."

As they ate, Lucy look up, once again, at the sky. It was a blustery, stormy gray. Viscous clouds stirred above as the air begin to crack and pop. Where was the sun? The light breeze? The hope?

Hope was lost. And that blasted beast had taken it. It must have swallowed it whole the night Samneric had come back screaming it from the mountaintop. How delicious it must have been, knowing that you single handedly destroyed innocent children's futures, knowing that you had left stranded here. To die.

The island would be the ruin of them all.

"All sit down," Jack said, the authority radiating from his own body. Power that everyone craved. Even Lucy.

Especially Lucy.

She joined the rows of boys before him as he pointed his spear.

"Who's going to join my tribe?"

And everyone looked at Ralph, who had sounded like he lost his footing. She knew what he had been thinking.

_His_ tribe?

"I gave you food and my hunters will protect you from the beast. Who will join my tribe?" He repeated.

And then they began to argue again. About who was to be chief. About the conch. Lucy still didn't understand the importance of the shell. It was _just_ a shell. What could it possibly do that a human can't?

Then, she was reminded of the better times several weeks earlier. When everything was going smoothly, and the island seemed like a sort of paradise and held no resemblance to a choke hold.

Order. The conch held them together. Forget peace. This was war.

And Ralph was certainly not the one winning.

Lightning struck and a few seconds later rang a loud boom. Large droplets were starting to pelt down hard, drenching them all.

"Going to be a storm," said Ralph, "and you'll have rain like when we dropped here. Who's clever now? Where are your shelters? What are you going to do about that?"

One point to Ralph.

The littluns were screaming now and running about. The wind blew in fierce gusts and it was getting even darker.

"Do our dance! Come on! Dance!"

Lucy could barely hear Jack over the rustling of the leaves, the roars of thunder growing louder and louder. She watched as everyone clamored to form a circle around him and Roger. The pig.

She hated when they did this. Just watching it was terrifying.

Even Piggy and Ralph joined in, shouting and waving around their rudimentary weapons. And they were chanting. Always chanting.

_"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"_

Over and over again- and Lucy could only watch helplessly from the sidelines. Animals. They were animals.

_"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"_

Terror was rising in the circle, she could feel it. The chanting only grew louder. The desire to hurt, to tear fought for dominance.

The desire to kill.

_"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"_

She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. But her mouth refused to open and her feet had rooted her to the spot. A feeling that something horrible would happen rose in her stomach. It was telling her to get away. Now.

But she couldn't rip her gaze from the group. Not now, when one of the littluns- Johnny, maybe- in his fright, broke the ring. It left a large opening on the side like a horseshoe.

"Him! Him!"

A dark figure came crawling from the forest, screaming and running at the group. The beast, for sure.

Lucy jumped back, horrified and pressed herself behind one of the rocks, peering over its surface at the gruesome events that were unfolding right before her eyes.

_"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"_

Good God. What were they doing?

Arms and spears flailed about as shouts and screams erupted from the circle, but only one voice found its way to Lucy's ears amidst the unnerving sounds of chaos.

_"There's a dead man on the hill! It's not a monster. Please listen! There's..."  
_

"Stop!" She yelled and ran out from behind their hiding place. She couldn't let them continue. She knew that voice.

The beast stumbled out of the ring, over the rocks, and into the water. The rest followed, stabbing and kicking and tearing. In all the confusion, Lucy managed to get to Jack, in front of them all.

"Stop it, Jack! Stop it!" She cried, managing to rip the spear from his hands.

Cold rain poured down and just like that, the tension broke and everyone staggered back, and with final flash of lightning, got a good glimpse of the beast. It was so small and still, crimson already pouring from its broken body.

Lucy gasped, suddenly feeling rather nauseous.

"Oh my God," she managed to choke out. "You just killed Simon."

A deathly calm.

Sickened, Lucy took off for the jungle.

Better to be alone in the dark than in the company of these primary school murderers.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sooo sorry, I had to! It was already foreshadowed and I didn't want to change the original storyline too much. Oh Simon, I'll miss you :(**

**And I'm working really hard to keep Lucy as flawed and non-Mary Sueish as possible without making her too bad. I _think_ I'm doing an okay job, but I don't know for sure. What do you say?**

**Also, I am rewriting Chapter 2 because the horrendous of it all is just... *shudders* The beginning is my weakest point because I wasn't used to writing from Lucy's point of view yet, but it is one of the most important parts of the story. So yeah, be sure to look that over once I put it up... which will be soon... Hopefully!  
**


	9. Defiance

**A/N: *Hugs* I love you guys :) You're the reason I get up in the morning to type until my fingers bleed. You're the reason I STILL BELIEVE! Haha, I'm sorry. I've had too much sugar today.**

**Review or face the wrath of Roger!**

Roger: ::laughs evilly::

* * *

Chapter 9- Defiance

It was early morning after the incident and Lucy was alone. For all she knew, no one was awake. Not even the sun.

The jungle was not a good place to settle in, for there were shadows in the jungle. Shadows that can turn into monsters, that can become visions. Visions of things that she did not want to remember.

Last night's events had shaken her. Horrible images appeared in front of her eyes. The blood, the dance.

Simon.

His voice haunted Lucy. It was all too clear now, what he'd been trying to tell her. About the beast. About Jack. Everything

_"What I mean is... maybe it's only us."_

The screaming, the spears. And they weren't thinking. They just attacked.

Lucy had never seen anything something so evil, and at the hands of children.

He was their friend, after all.

_"Jack is a clever one. You know what he wants, right?"_

He wanted to be chief. He never thought there was a beast in the first place.

And she, Lucy, had believed him. That safety and happiness had taken a human form in Jack.

She felt like such a fool.

Simon. He'd been so alive just yesterday.

Now, he's gone.

The news hit her hard. He's gone, and she had done nothing to stop it. But it was so dark, so confusing. If she had only realized sooner, maybe things might have ended differently. Maybe.

The possibility almost made her want to cry again.

But he's gone and nothing would change that.

Lucy hated being alone. It gave her time to brood, and all she wanted to do was forget.

She wished that she never left Ralph in the first place. No, she had to join Jack and his tribe of savages. Murderers.

But she couldn't go back to her grandfather just yet. She was too ashamed.

The quiet here was suffocating. She felt the urge to scream and sob and run away all at once, but she stayed still, lying on the forest floor, listening to her own breathing.

Lucy should have been sleeping by now. She wasn't tired. Simply numb.

A small, frightened voice jolted her out of her thoughts.

"Lucy! I-I'm scared! Please, Lucy!"

Her head snapped up.

"Percival? I'm here!" She called out. "Where... Where are you?"

"Lucy!" Percy cried. "Hurry!"

She dodged trees and vines and all sorts of the undergrowth. It sounded like she was getting closer.

"Lucy!"

And there he was, huddled on the ground, whimpering uncontrollably.

She kneeled beside him.

"Thank goodness you're alright," She exclaimed. "What's wrong? What are you doing here?" She was concerned. Percival was easily afraid. He wouldn't be brave enough to wander around in the dark. Especially after last night.

He only shook his head, hugging his knees closer to his chest.

Something wasn't right, and Lucy was starting to grow suspicious. She knew she was far from both camps, and Percival should have been with the other littluns. What was he doing in the jungle? And how did he even know where to find her?

A low chuckle could be heard from behind.

Lucy frowned.

"Roger?"

A scuffle.

Flash of pain. A scream.

And then, silence.

* * *

She had been lying on the grass for a long time before she finally regained consciousness.

Lucy sat up with a groan. Everything about her ached and the back of her head felt like it was about to come off. How long had she been out? What happened? What time was it?

"Good, you're awake."

His eyes were cold. He was angry.

"Jack..."

He dragged her to her feet.

"Why did you leave last night?" He demanded, his voice soft but dangerous.

Lucy's mouth hung open. She didn't know what to say.

_"Why did you leave?"_ He repeated, tightening his grip on her arms.

"I don't know! I was scared. I-I-"

She was met with a harsh slap across the face. With a yelp, she fell to the ground.

Roger stood beside Jack, hand aloft, prepared to strike again.

Her eyes narrowed.

"You!"

Jack towered over her.

"I sent Roger to find you and bring you back, which wouldn't have been necessary, had you never left." He brought his face close to hers. She refused to meet his eyes. "Look at me." She continued to stare at her feet.

"Dammit, Lucy!"

And she found herself on her back once again, pressed between Jack and the rough terrain. She struggled and thrashed until he caught her wrists, pinning them high above her throbbing head.

"Look at me."

Reluctantly, she obeyed. It would be stupid not to.

He went on, the supremacy in his tone never faltering.

"Now, Lu, I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you'll never run off like that again. Promise."

She was felt so trapped, so afraid. That he would hunt her. And kill her. So she nodded.

He smirked triumphantly.

"Smart girl. Because if you do, you know what could happen..."

She shook her head fearfully.

He looked mildly surprised. "Why, the beast could get to you! Of course, if we don't get to you first." And then he laughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

Lucy didn't answer. She didn't think it was a joke at all. Not in the slightest.

"Well," Jack continued. "I see why he'd want a girl like you. So perfect and gorgeous and..." He trailed off and licked his lips hungrily, his eyes traveling down her body.

She flushed, not out of flattery, but terror. She was still a little girl, for Christ's sake. She didn't want to be talked to like that.

He kissed her, tenderly at first, then harder and more heated. Lucy began to fight, each struggle only frustrating him some more. And with all her might, she pushed him off of her, thoroughly disgusted.

"Good God, Jack!" She finally spoke. "What's your problem?"

"What's yours?"

"You!"

She stalked off, sick of his silly mind games, sick of his hunting, sick of his touch.

He snatched her wrist and held her back. Blindly, she swung a fist at him, which he caught easily and clamped both of her arms to her sides. She squealed and fought, even when Jack took out his knife.

Holding it menacingly at her throat and said in her ear, "I really don't want to have to do this, Lu." She squirmed in his grasp, her breathing ragged. "Forget about Ralph. He can't protect you. He'll put you to work, gathering firewood and anything of that sort."

Lucy tried to stomp on his feet. "Let me go, Jack Merridew!"

Indifferent, he continued. "You don't want to take care of the littluns. You hate them, don't you? All whiny and loud," he said, and Lucy quieted a little. "Here, you won't have to. Here, you'll be queen."

And Lucy abandoned her struggle completely.

"Queen?"

He smirked. "Of course, they ought to worship you. And you'll never have to work again. We could rule the island together, and I'll have some of my hunters to pull up another log. That's be a good show, wouldn't it?"

Lucy's eyes sparkled with greed. Her own throne. All the power in the world at her fingertips. She would be at the top for once, giving orders left and right, and there was nothing any of those boys could do about it.

Queen Lucy. It had a nice ring to it.

"It would," She said, already caught up in a daydream. "It would..."

And then she remembered.

_"You know what he wants, right?"_

And she was abhorred with herself for almost giving in. Again.

She shrugged him off, sneering. "Nice try, Jack."

Strangely, he smiled and called Roger over.

"Rog," he said, "I think our friend here is in need of a little... _persuasion._"

Lucy barely had time to brace herself when a fist came into contact with her cheek. And a second later came another one- this time her stomach. She was hunched over, coughing, the bitter taste of rust in her mouth.

Grabbing her hair, Jack forced her head up. But it wasn't the Jack she knew when they first came here. This Jack was rapacious, bestial. Or maybe he'd been that way all along and she just hadn't noticed.

"What?" She spat. "Couldn't hit me yourself?"

He only scoffed and pushed her away. Watching the retreating forms of him and his right-hand man, she laughed and muttered.

"_Coward._"

This caused Jack to freeze in his tracks. Slowly, he turned around, his icy blue eyes flashing.

"What did you just say?"

Lucy bit her lip. Oh God, she didn't mean for him to hear that.

Chuckling, he made his way towards her. "I really liked you, Lu. Someday, you'll learn." He raised his hand to hit her. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for the blow that never came.

Wilfred had thrown himself at Jack and begun to beat every inch of him that he could reach. Jack kicked him away with ease. "Tie him up!" He called to Robert and Maurice. "I'll deal with him later. As for you..."

He focused Lucy, who immediately recoiled and shrunk back several paces. He grabbed the collar of her tattered shirt and, despite her objections, began to drag her away.

Passing Wilfred, now bound to a nearby tree, she whispered.

"Why?"

He smiled weakly.

"I'm supposed to be your rescuer."

She was at a loss for words, imagining all the terrible things that they'll do to him. That they'll do to her.

Jack pushed her roughly towards the forest, pausing briefly, he motioned to Roger.

"No one comes through here. Tell the others."

Roger glanced at their new prisoner, smiling smugly.

"Sure thing, Chief."

Soon after they disappeared into the trees, there was quiet...

Until the sounds of Lucy's shrieks pierced the air, echoing throughout the jungle.

* * *

**A/N: Oh snap... What just happened?  
**


	10. Spite and Slander

**A/N: Just so you know, I'll be going on vacation pretty soon, so this will most likely be my last update for a couple weeks. Don't fret, fellow writers. I'll be back! Sure, I'll be a little sunburned, but I will come back! I always do ;)  
**

**Free hugs to all those who review!**

**--silence--**

**FREE JACKS TO ALL THOSE WHO REVIEW!**

**--mad dash for review button--**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 10- Spite and Slander

Broken.

Lucy Everard was broken.

_"Think I'm a coward now, Lu? Fight me! Fight back!"_

She tried to, but she couldn't. He'd won. He'd taken the last thing she had left on this godforsaken island.

And worse, she still had feelings for him. Because she knew that wasn't the real Jack. Because she knew that the real Jack was still out there. The real Jack was not lost. Not yet.

She only hoped it wasn't too late.

"So this is our Queen."

Lucy barely stirred. She was used to Roger's taunts by now and ignored him entirely. Blatantly frustrated with her lack of response, he poked her repeatedly with his spear.

"Piss off," she mumbled and drew her legs tighter to her chest.

"Or what?" He said with a final jab. "You going to tell Jack?"

Her mouth stayed shut as tears welled up in her eyes.

Jack.

Roger chuckled and sauntered away.

"Pathetic."

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut. She was _not_ pathetic.

"I'm not. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not." She repeated the phrase over and over again, willing it to be true. No, she only came to Jack Merridew in fear of the nonexistent beast and when the time came to change loyalties (again), she couldn't even make it back to Ralph without... She blocked the memory from her head. She must not think about that.

Insistent rustling from above her caught her attention. There, in the trees, was a bird. It appeared to be stuck to something. A branch perhaps?

Lucy stood up to take a closer look. A flicker of gold glinted in the moonlight.

Gold. It couldn't be.

She rubbed her hands together. It wasn't too high up, and there were plenty of boughs and such to hold on to. She would just have to remember not to look down.

Taking a breath, she began to climb the tree as quietly as she could so not to be heard. This was it. This was her chance. For the first time in months, she realized she was going to go home. She was going to escape.

She reached for the long, thin chain dangling just inches above her head. _It was so close._

"Got it," Lucy whispered triumphantly, grabbing it tightly in her hands.

Carefully, she untwisted it from the poor little bird's foot. It looked at her through blank, beady black eyes before squawking in thanks. She watched it take off, to its family, no doubt. She smiled. She would be seeing her family in a short while too.

The watch felt so warm, so inviting. So perfect. The island hadn't damaged it at all. Only that Lucy noticed it stopped ticking. Maybe a clock hand was stuck. She shook it in vain.

And suddenly, the branch supporting her weight began to crack. Her arms flailed about in hopes of catching some sort of hold.

No such luck.

_Snap._

The tree branch quickly broke off, spiraling to the ground, taking Lucy and the watch with it.

She screamed until hitting the ground with a resounding crash.

"Ow," She winced and examined herself. Just a couple scratches and bruises, no lasting damage.

"What was that?"

Oh no. They heard.

The sound of crunching leaves and running feet announced the hunters' appearance in Lucy's little alcove. Her mind was racing. How on earth would she explain herself this time?

Jack knelt beside her, taking her face in his hands. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Lucy flinched at his touch, before looking up into his concerned, shockingly blue eyes. She swallowed.

"Well, I climbed a tree," she reiterated, "And I fell...?"

He stared at her in disbelief. "You fell?"

She only nodded.

"Tell me, Lu," Jack went on. "Why were you climbing a tree in the first place?"

With a nervous laugh, she continued. "Well, you see, I wanted to- I wanted... to-to gaze at the stars. Yes, they're really pretty, aren't they?" She said, adding a girlish giggle. Good God, she was a horrible liar.

His hunters snickered.

"You wanted to gaze at the stars?" Jack implored, a touch of amusement to his voice.

"Precisely." Lucy crossed her fingers behind her back. Maybe she could get away with it.

And just as suddenly, his face went ice cold as he slowly advanced toward her.

"You're not very convincing, you know." With every forward step, Lucy involuntarily went back, until he had her pressed to the nearest tree trunk. "Now tell me again," he hissed. "Why were you climbing that tree?"

When she didn't answer, he made do with threats. "I really don't want to have to do this again, but if I have to..." She cringed as he ran his palm down her right arm. He knew how to get what he wanted, Jack Merridew. And he was damn good at it, too.

"I went for the watch." The words flew out of her mouth before she could make to stop them.

"What watch?"

She pointed to the precious pocket watch laying a little while a way. Roger picked it up, looking at it curiously.

"Chief." He handed it to him.

Jack examined it, puzzled. "These numbers... Look," he said, and his whole tribe crowded around it, scrambling to catch a glimpse at the peculiar object. He swatted them away in annoyance and held the watch in her face. "Explain."

Lucy sighed wearily. And out came the story.

* * *

"Ralph's your grandfather?" Maurice asked in shock. "_You're_ from the _future?_"

They never realized it. Lucy didn't blame them. She only pieced together the puzzle just yesterday.

The others muttered amongst themselves, looking at her as if she was an alien life form. However, she was thankful that they didn't think her to be crazy and do her. Like they had Simon. She shuddered at the thought.

Jack was the only one who hadn't said anything. He simply stared, his expression unreadable.

"Go," he commanded.

Bill protested indignantly. "But she was just going to tell us-"

"_I said go!_"

And they all scrambled away. Even Roger. Lucy wished they would stay. She didn't want to be alone with him. Especially after...

"Thought you said you didn't remember anything," he mumbled, his gaze directed at the ground.

"I lied. I had to," Lucy said.

"You lied," he said, slowly repeating her words, "Because you had to."

She was becoming frustrated that he wasn't getting it. "We all have to. Even you. You lied about the beast."

"I. Didn't. Lie." Jack gritted his teeth.

"You did." Lucy turned her chin up. "Just now."

"Well you lied about the watch!"

"What else was I supposed to say? You would've..." Her voice faltered.

Jack scoffed. "I would've what? Made you stay? Well I damn well could. I have power here- power that no one else has. I can do whatever I want on this island and no one can change that. Not you. Not even Ralph." He was livid, pacing back and forth furiously.

"Jack," she started, but was automatically cut off.

"You want to go home, don't you? You want to leave, don't you? _Don't you?_"

"Well, yes-"

"But why?" He whirled around to face her. "Why, Lu? What is so important in the future that I can't get you here?"

She felt tears spring in her eyes. She refused to let them fall. "My parents."

He turned away, gripping a tree for support. "Forget them." His voice was low. Pained. Almost depressed. "They don't care. Mine sure as hell don't."

Lucy swallowed. She pitied him.

"Jack..." Gently, she touched his arm.

He wouldn't look at her. "You wanted to leave. Like my mother. You don't care."

"I do-"

"_You don't!_" He thundered, and Lucy realized he was crying. "You don't. You don't..."

She found herself wrapping her arms around his neck. After hesitating for a just moment, he returned the embrace, his face wet with tears.

"I care about you," she whispered. "I do. But I just-"

He immediately tore away, angry once more. "What now?"

"I don't belong here, Jack. You know that. And I really have to go!" She attempted to pry the gold watch from his hands. He pushed her back with more force than he intended to and she landed roughly on her bottom.

He dried his face rashly and straightened. "No," he sibilated. "You belong here. With me."

At that, he took off after the others, leaving Lucy crumpled on the forest floor, more hurt and confused then she'd ever been in her life. She would never belong in this place, never belong to Jack. She _would_ make it home. No matter the cost.

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**A/N: And pretty please review! Remember... Jack is waiting ;)**


	11. Time to Succumb

**A/N: I'm back! First things first, I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing. I love you all! I know that this story is starting to get depressing, but rest assured! Happier chapters to come, I promise.**

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Chapter 11- Time to Succumb

Lucy heard the boulder before she saw it.

Standing near the edge of the cliff, there was the sound of shifting of rocks. It could only mean one thing. Roger at set it free.

She could only watch as it tumbled down and down, hitting Piggy in one mighty blow. He fell into the ocean several feet below. The sight of his broken body, twitching hopelessly before it became lost forever... It made her stomach feel queasy. She resisted the urge to retch in front of everyone. Hadn't she been humiliated enough?

Well, not as much as Piggy. Lucy lowered her head guiltily. She was nothing but horrible to him, and now he was dead. Just like Simon.

In the silence that fell upon the entire island, her eyes trailed to the remains of the conch. It was nothing now.

She looked up in time to see Jack hurl his spear at Ralph. Her mouth emitted a noise somewhere between a yelp and a gasp as the rest of the tribe followed in the same course.

"Run, you big dolt," she whispered, and as though he heard her, Ralph hightailed it into the forest. Lucy let out a sigh of relief. At least one of them escaped.

"Back to the fort!" Jack commanded. Everyone obeyed except her. She started for the chief, but someone had grabbed her arm.

Her eyes narrowed. "Let me go, Maurice."

Maurice returned her glare with one of his own. "When Jack Merridew says 'back to the fort', you get." And he proceeded to drag her along.

"Oh, and if Jack Merridew said to slit your own throat, would you then?" Lucy said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

He tightened his grip. "Learn your place, Lu."

"Where'd you hear that overused piece of rubbish? Your father?" She taunted.

_That's right, Lucy. Dig your own grave_, she thought to herself. The death of Piggy had given her a new source of anger. Another reason to be unreasonable, so to speak. Maybe this was her own way of making it up to him.

He stopped dead in his tracks. "If you weren't a girl, I'd-"

Thankfully, Jack interrupted their little powwow. She was actually glad to see him.

"Get the pig ready for the feast," he said to him. Maurice nodded wordlessly and obeyed, but not before sending her a contemptuous look. Lucy stuck up her chin. How she hated him. How she hated everyone.

Jack turned to her and said, "Don't be like Samneric. Don't be like Ralph." He gestured down at where Roger was beating at the twins with no mercy. Their cries and shouts echoed loudly with every resounding whack. Lucy froze as she watched the scene, frustrated at her own helplessness.

Good God, she was going to be sick.

* * *

Lucy refused to eat, not that anyone cared for that matter. To them, she was just a dumb girl who didn't give the chief what he wanted.

And as he gave his speech, she stared at them all with disdain. Fear was a thing of the past now. Dumb girl, ha! Lucy Everard was smarter than each and every boy on this island. Maybe even Jack, who was exercising his stupidity at that very moment as he told them of his plans to get rid of Ralph.

Samneric were sitting a little while away from the group, sniffing to themselves in the corner. Roger had done a number on them, that's for sure.

She inched her way closer to them, careful not to alert anyone. They started at her arrival.

"Shh!" She pressed a finger to her lips desperately. "Listen, you have to go now, while they're preoccupied. Understand? Find Ralph and hide. I don't know where, but you'll find a place."

"Lucy-" One of them began, but she cut him off.

She shook her head abruptly. "There's no time. Leave now!" she hissed. "I'll distract them."

"But Lucy!" The other one pointed a shaky finger behind her.

She spun around. Sure enough, they had caught everybody's attention. She cursed under her breath.

Jack stood up. "You two," he ordered to the twins. "Guard the rock. Tell Bill and Robert they can come back now." He watched them scamper away, satisfied, before turning his attention back to Lucy. "Come here."

Reluctantly, she complied. Smiling smugly, he wrapped a secure arm around her waist, almost as though he was afraid she would run away at any given moment.

"As I was saying," Jack continued. "We're to smoke him out. And if you spot him, remember the signal. Roger's going to sharpen a stick at both ends, so when we've got him-"

"Which you won't, at the way you're going at it," said Lucy nonchalantly, examining her fingernails as if the whole situation meant nothing to her.

He frowned. "What do you mean by that?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"You're going to set the whole place on fire to get him out of hiding, correct?" She quipped.

"Yes."

That caused her to laugh mockingly. "Of course you are."

His eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"

Lucy shrugged. "Nothing, I was just wondering..." She sat down on the nearest log, crossing her legs daintily. "How exactly do you intend to put the fire out once you do get him? Hmm?"

Her snarky comment had caused the crowd to mutter amongst themselves. So the girl had a brain, after all! Even Jack contemplated it in his head, before throwing his hands down in frustration. "Damn it, Lucy," he said finally. "Why do you have to be right?"

She was just about to congratulate herself on a job well done when Maurice piped up.

"How do you know she's not tricking us? That little whore is probably trying to protect her pathetic grandfather, Ralph!"

Affronted, she took a step towards him, eyes blazing. "Watch it, Maurice."

He held her icy gaze. "You know I'm right. About Ralph. 'Bout you."

Her vision blurred for just a moment before blinking rapidly and starting on the boy. "He's not..I'm not- And if you say that ever again, I swear I'll kill you." She seethed viciously.

Maurice looked ready to pounce when Roger stepped in front of him and said to Lucy, "Don't make threats when everyone knows they're empty."

She stood her ground and crossed her arms in front of her chest haughtily. "Don't be one to assume," she shot back.

"_What_ is wrong you, Lu?" Jack yanked her back. "You lot, all of you- sit down!" Clearly he was losing patience with them. Especially Lucy, who couldn't blame him. From sweet and willing to snappish and perverse, Piggy's death had certainly changed her. For the first time, she found herself thanking him.

The group automatically obeyed, all plopping down at the place where they stood. All except Lucy, that is.

"Sit down," Jack growled, and when she made no effort to do so, he hit her on the head with the dull end of his spear. She yelped, dropping to her knees. Blood slowly trickled down her hair. "Since you're so smart," he continued, squatting down to her level, "Tell us what to do."

Dizzy and fazed from his harsh blow, she found it hard to answer. "I..I don't know, please!" she sputtered out as soon as he raised his spear again. "Just don't use the fire. Don't split up. Corner him- I don't know!"

Smirking in spite of himself, Jack stepped back, satisfied. "Alright then. We'll do that. We'll corner Ralph and once we do, I'll cut off his head." His eyes shined with a happiness she couldn't explain. Lucy paled, terrified.

"Y-you're going to _kill_ him?"

He shrugged. "Of course. What did you think we were going to do? Invite him to tea?" The sniggers received from his tribe empowered him as he stood up. "Tie her," he instructed the crowd. "Wouldn't anyone getting in the way of our surprise."

Before she could react, the savages nearly tackled her to the ground, first binding her hands behind her back then her entire body to a nearby tree. She bit and tore during her struggle, becoming just as much of an animal as the rest.

When Jack came, a tattered cloth at hand, Lucy asked him in an austere whisper. "Why must you do this?"

In the same tone, he replied. "The beast has done a lot of things for me. I'm just returning the favor." And he placed the cloth between her lips, tying it behind her head. She held her breath as he touched her face, willing it all to be nothing but a nightmare.

_Lucy Everard_, she thought to herself. _What have you done?_

* * *

The moment everyone left for the hunt, Lucy got to work on the bindings. It wasn't that hard. None of the boys were in the navy. She was quite confident in thinking that not one of them could tell a square knot from a sheepshank. Though she may not appear the type, but she knew how to tie all sorts of knots. In fact, sailing had been in the family for centuries.

But that's beside the point. Lucy had only one focus now, and that was to get home and get to get Ralph to safety, the latter being her priority. For one thing, she had no idea where Jack had hidden the golden watch. By the time she found it, it would already be too late. Ralph would have been killed and she would have...

Good God!

If Ralph died today, then her father wouldn't have existed. If Ralph died, Lucy would have never been born.

The gravity of the situation was heavy upon her shoulders as she finally wrenched herself free from the makeshift ropes. Tearing the gag away from her face, she crumpled it into a tight little ball, throwing it behind her as she ran to the thicket Samneric were told he'd be hiding. There was no one in sight.

"Shit," she swore under her breath. What would her mother think about her unladylike cursing?

Instinct told her to go straight. Maybe they had run there.

Her muscles ached terribly, but she pushed herself to go forward. She couldn't give up. Not now.

Lucy looked around desperately. Where were they?

_"Don't Jack!"_

She whipped around, hearing his voice. Ralph's voice.

They had him cornered on the beach, that accursed chant pulsating in her ears. Louder and louder. Her eyes widened in horror. Jack was raising his knife, Ralph sprawled out on his knees, arms raised in attempt to block to inevitable blow. His sickening laughter, the hoots and hollers. They were both going to die, she knew it. Just like Simon and Piggy.

"No," she muttered to herself. Twice she stood by and let young boys be murdered. Twice she was to scared to speak up and actually do anything. Well not anymore, she decided. Not this time.

Her vehement scream could be heard above everyone as she launched herself between the boys, knocking the dagger out of Jack's hands in the process.

"No," Lucy repeated, breathing heavily. "You can't kill him. He's my grandfather. If he goes, I go too." Tears were threatening to pool down her face as she whispered. "You can't kill us, Jack."

He returned her anguished look with nothing but a scowl. He growled. "Give me one reason to keep you alive."

Lucy was at a loss for words, that is, before remembering what he was. Channeling the spirit of all those seductresses she'd seen in movies and so wished to be like, she sauntered closer to him before pressing her lips to his enticingly. Running her hands slowly down his sunburned chest, she insinuated in a convincingly flirtatious manner, her voice low and evocative.

"I'll give you that and more."

Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he smiled, eying her greedily, waving everyone else away impatiently. "Go back to Castle Rock," he ordered. "No one touches Ralph, understand?"

Roger was livid. "But chief-"

"I said now."

Grumbling at the sudden change of events, the tribe made their way back to the new campsite, looking over their shoulders every few seconds. Ralph was the last to go. He stared at her emotionlessly as he passed, muttering quickly in his leave. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Lucy didn't answer. She never realized it until now.

But how hard could it be? She asked herself. He was _just_ a boy, after all.

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**A/N: And so the worst is over. The only question is... What will happen next?**

**Dun dun dunn...**


	12. Firsts

**A/N: Wow, I should really take more time to edit my work. Forgive me, I'm usually tired and lazy when I write. Someday, I'll go back and fix everything... Maybe. Ugh... Curse my own stupidity! FLUFF ALERT!  
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**With that in mind, read and review :)  
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Chapter 12- Firsts

There was a first time for everything, Lucy had learned in the weeks that followed.

The first time she'd landed a punch had been when Roger had called her a bitch just a few days earlier. But that was only because he was jealous that Jack was starting to like her better than him. It wasn't her fault that she made a better right hand.

The first time she'd killed had also been the first time Jack had taken her hunting. The thrill of the chase. The chaos, the confusion. Lucy could still feel the exhilaration shooting through her fingertips like a thousand volts of electricity as she plunged her spear into the pig's side, taking its life forever.

She could still taste the feast held in her honor, smell the smoke as it drifted skyward away from the cooking fire. Everything tasted so much better when it was her own doing. Just that was enough, and Lucy felt no remorse.

Sitting on the cliff near Castle Rock, she allowed her feet dangle over the edge, swinging them back and forth like a pendulum. In her hands was a flower garland, woven carefully around a delicate thread taken from the tattered hem of her very own skirt. It was a truly beautiful piece, and wonderfully crafted for someone with her limited amount of resources. In her eyes, it was fit for a queen.

Her hair was so long now, almost reaching her mid back. Lucy no longer made a fuss over it. What's the use? But today, she decided, was a special day. She had washed it thoroughly and managed to remove most of the tangles.

Gingerly placing the garland on her head, Lucy smiled to herself and scanned the horizon. The sea was still, glittering magnificently in the afternoon sun. High tide wouldn't be for a while now. Maybe later she could go for a swim.

Back when Ralph was still in charge, she would watch the littluns wade out into the ocean, yelling at them to stay in shallow waters. But not anymore. When she went, she would go as far in as she could, as long as her toes touched the ground.

None of them wanted to play with her anymore. They were scared of her. At night, she would hear one of them awake sobbing from a bad dream. Before, they would have gone to her for comfort. Lately, they'd just been keeping their nightmares to themselves.

Even Ralph kept his distance. On occasion, she would catch him observing her from afar with a scrutinizing gaze.

Lucy didn't care. She didn't need them. Things were different now. She wasn't just a dumb girl. She had power - power that she'd been craving since the moment she landed on this island. Now, she earned it and there was nothing they could do to stop her.

"There you are. I thought you might have run off," Jack said with a grin. He held his hand out to help her to her feet.

Lucy took it and dusted her self off. "And why on earth would I do that?" She replied, smirking.

He shrugged. "Maybe to put on a good show. I know how you love doing that." He slid his arm around her shoulders as he led her back to camp. "Let's go hunting."

She sighed and rested her head against his chest. "Do we have to?"

"Sure... Unless you've got _other_ plans in mind." He cocked an eyebrow suggestively.

"Of course," Lucy murmured, her breath hot against his cheek. Jack smirked, and just when he was about to go in for the kiss, she ran off towards the jungle, laughing hysterically. "But you've got to catch me first!"

She didn't dare look back. He was already used to her game and she knew he would go after her.

Lucy Everard didn't need reassurance. She didn't need any help. She was courageous, unstoppable. Fierce and wild. More valuable to the chief than the entire island put together. She was smart, resourceful, facile, and stalwart.

Lucy Everard was queen.

* * *

They would never find her, for she had sought refuge in a clearing that only the bravest dared enter. It wasn't at all scary, and Lucy began to wonder why. But that was before she noticed the skull.

It was a pig's skull, no doubt, and it was propped up on a stick sharpened on both ends, mocking her with its sadistic grin. Normally, she would have screamed, but something peculiar caught her eye.

Just inches from the skull was a mound of freshly dug up dirt. A chain protruded from the ground. A golden chain.

Lucy's heart stopped. _It can't be._

But it was.

Someone, namely Jack, must have forgotten to bury that part of the watch in his haste, leaving it there for no one but her to find. Lucy swallowed, her hand slowly reaching for it until...

_"Kill the pig! Cut her throat! Spill her blood!"_

Giggling, she sprinted out of there just in time, almost forgetting what she just saw. Almost, but not quite.

"Try and get me!" She shouted behind her, making her way to the sand. They would catch up to her sooner or later, but it was much more fun to get them out of breath first.

And just when she was about to run through the beach, a hand shot out of a nearby bush and grabbed her ankle. Lucy yelped as she tumbled to the ground, and soon, Jack was on top of her, shoulders pinned down in his grasp.

"Game's over, Lu!" He yelled as his tribe finally caught up to them, the laughter visible in his eyes.

She pretended to pout. "Why can't you let me win for once?"

He smiled and kissed her lightly on the nose. "You already have."

Lucy's breath caught in her throat as their eyes met. How was it that she felt like she could sprout wings and fly when they were together? Especially when he looked at her like that. Like he would never leave, that he would save her. That someday, they would be happily married with beautiful children and a nice house and perfect lives.

For the first time in a while, she wondered. Is this what it's like to be grown up?

A twig snapped and just as suddenly, the spell broke and Lucy remembered they were stranded on an island and they would never, ever go home.

Home.

The word sounded almost foreign to her own ears as she tried to remember what home was. Home was here, on the island. Home was the pig run, Castle Rock, the sand on the beach. Home was with Jack, at his side, in his arms. Where ever he was- that was where she needed to be.

Jack scrambled to get off of Lucy, holding out a hand to help her up. She took his spear, lying down at their feet and thrust it victoriously in the air.

"Prepare for the hunt. We're having a feast tonight!" She declared to the crowd, who cheered and quickly departed. Roger lagged behind the rest, his left eye still swollen with a slightly purplish hue. He nodded respectively in her direction before treading on.

Jack noticed the exchange and looked at her with approval. "Soon, you'll have them all wrapped around your finger."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," she casually replied. On the contrary, Lucy was rather confident that she would have the same amount of control as the chief himself, perhaps even more. Soon, she would have the pigs bow down at her feet, willingly sacrificing themselves for her tribe. Acquisition would never seem so sweet.

Spotting the garland, he tugged playfully at her hair. "Where did you get that?"

She smirked. "Made it myself. You like it?"

He nodded appreciatively. "It's brilliant. Really suits you."

"It does, doesn't it?" She mused, already caught up in dreams of a high and mighty throne, jewel encrusted crowns, and a castle of her very own. Taking his hand, she gazed up at the cloudless sky. Their sky.

Without another word, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. "We'll rule the island forever, Jack!" She exclaimed, laughing to herself.

"Forever," he repeated, a misty look in his eyes. Pulling her closer, he brought his lips to hers. Neither children had anything else to say. They had forever, and that was all that mattered. And when it came to Jack, Lucy had all the time in the world.

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**A/N: Okay, so that was a little on the corny side. Well, a lot on the corny. Sorry, I was in a very sentimental mood. But I'm really starting to fall in love with Jack. He really cares about her! *tries not to cry over loss* I'm glad I'm not Lucy, otherwise I'd have to attack myself out of pure jealously. **

**Wait... Why am I talking to myself?**

**Pretty please REVIEW so I don't look like a complete lunatic, lol.  
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	13. Between the Cracks

**A/N: She's alive? Fellow writers, I apologize. Lately, I've been drowning in homework. The school seems to be rather keen on denying us students of our social lives. A warning, this chapter is pretty mature and rather disturbing. So, proceed with caution.**

**Thank you everyone for your reviews. You have no idea how much I love you guys. Anyway, on with lucky number thirteen...**

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Chapter 13- Between the Cracks

"Give me the leg, Harold," Lucy hissed, eyes flashing dangerously.

Harold was affronted. "But you always get the leg. It ain't fair!"

She tightened her hold on his wrist as her voice considerably lowered, looking ready to pounce. "It is too, Harold. _I_ caught it,_ I_ killed it, and _I_ get to have first pick." With a huff, she continued her rant in a frightfully calm tone. "Now who caught the pig last week, Harold?"

He swallowed nervously. "You..."

"And who caught it yesterday, Harold?"

"You."

"And who caught it today, Harold?"

"You."

"And who got first pick all of those times, _Harold?_"

"You."

"_Exactly!_" She screeched and threw down her spear. "So why exactly should _you_ be getting to enjoy the best part of the pig when I did all the work? I killed it, I eat it. Understand?"

He nodded his head meekly. "Yes, Lucy. You can have it. Just please... Please, Lucy. Let me go," he begged, practically sobbing at her feet.

Unsatisfied at how quickly he surrendered, as she often liked to make a game out of it, she relieved her anger by slapping him across the face. He was whimpering pathetically when she bent down to his level and whispered ferociously. "Yes, Harold. _Me._"

And Lucy picked up her spear, leaving the forgotten piece of meat by her current victim's knees. She wasn't even that hungry.

Startled at the sudden warmth by her left hand, she looked down to see Wilfred clinging to her wrist, fear written plainly on his face. "Don't do it, Lucy," he pleaded, his lower lip trembling terribly.

"Don't do what?" she demanded, irritated this random act of concern.

He averted his gaze to his feet as he mumbled, twisting his hands behind his back. "Don't be like the other biguns."

Her face softened for a moment, before being replaced once again by an icy scowl. "Too late, Willy," she told him. "There's no rescuing me this time."

He frowned and said, "I know that. I just bet your Mama would be awfully disappointed in you right now," before running off the the opposite direction. Lucy stared at his retreating form, dumbfounded. She hadn't even thought about her mother for weeks.

Roger called out her name. "Lucy! Jack wants to speak with you."

She resisted patting the little boy on the head before turning abruptly on her heel. She walked purposely towards the rest of her tribe in long, confident strides. Thinking. Maybe she didn't want to be saved. Not now. Not ever.

Jack greeted her with a rather lengthy kiss on the lips the moment she approached him.

"Missed you," he said, smiling stupidly.

She rolled her eyes and whacked him on the arm playfully. "What do you want, Merridew?"

"You. Just you." His tone was cheerful, but his eyes were serious.

Lucy blushed and quickly looked away. "Really, Jack. What is it? I thought it was important."

"It is," he replied. "You'll see."

He turned to the others an announced that it was time to go to tuck in, and that they should all finish up their meals. She grew suspicious. It was way too early for bed, even for the littluns. He often stressed that they were no longer children, so why did he insist on treating them so?

Jack sauntered over to their usually patch of grass in the corner before slumping lazily on the dirt. Patting the ground beside him, he looked at her expectantly. "Well, come on."

Hesitantly, she obliged. Crawling up next to him, she rested her head on his shoulder. "What on earth are you planning?" she whispered as the rest of their tribe settled down for the night.

He only grinned. "Have patience, Lu." And he turned over and feigned sleep.

Lucy frowned. She would never try to get a straight answer from that boy again.

They had been lying down for a long time. Nearly an hour, she reasoned. So long that her eyelids began to droop and she had to keep pinching herself in attempt to keep herself awake. She was just about ready to surrender when Jack gently prodded her arm.

"Come on," he whispered. "Before they wake up."

"Wh-" Lucy began to ask, but was immediately shushed. He took her hand and pulled her eagerly into the jungle. Intrigued by his obvious excitement, she said no more and allowed herself to be led further into the thicket. It was dark. She clung to him anxiously.

After several minutes of walking, Jack finally stopped. "Okay, I think we've gone far enough from camp."

"Far enough?" She questioned. "But why-"

"I didn't want anyone to barge in on us, that's why," he explained. And then he stifled Lucy's many questions with a series of kisses. Some short, some long. Some playful, some lingering. Until she pulled away to study him, at least the little she saw under the dim, sorrowful moon.

His blue eyes were clouded over with an expression she'd only seen once before. His breathing was heavy and he was so jittery that he fumbled. Jack Merridew never fumbled.

"I don't understand," she murmured, playing with the hem of her dirty, threadbare skirt. He watched her hands for a long time before taking them in his own. He pulled her to the ground with him and they continued their grown-up playacting.

He was different tonight. He wasn't looking to tease or to forget or just for a bit of fun. Tonight, he was after something else. She didn't realize that until his hands moved from her hair to her face then all the way down to her skirt. He fingered it as she had before then soon after, gave it a gentle tug.

"Jack!" Lucy gasped, her head bolting upright. She was suddenly very dizzy and confused. What was happening?

"Please," he pleaded. "I need... I need to make it right this time." He brushed his thumb across her cheek. He was so close that their noses touched. "Let me, Lucy." He whispered.

She swallowed. Jack Merridew never begged.

As her lip trembled terribly, she nodded. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears as she rested her head back down on the ground.

_Congratulations, Lucy Everard_, she thought to herself. _You got your wish._

And the adult world welcomed her with wide-open arms.

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**A/N: I told you so.** **Even I felt uncomfortable reading this. And I wrote it! I understand if you thought this was a bit much. There's no one to lecture them about puberty... Well, yeah I'll stop making things awkward now. If you liked it, then WOOT! Please remember to review and give me feedback. Thanks again :)**


	14. Forever or Never

**A/N: I hope that everyone had a good holiday season. Can you believe it's almost 2010? In a couple months, it will have been a year since I first posted this story. Weird...  
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**To clear things up:**

**I know I'm writing Lucy a bit OOC. My sister got me watching a lot of Criminal Minds lately and I wanted to try some weird alter ego thing that didn't really work out :P**

**But have patience. Ralph will reappear and save the day pretty shortly.

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**Chapter 14 - Forever or Never

She could feel her power crumbling. The fortifying walls she had so carefully placed around her sanctuary were diminishing. Slowly, but surely, until they disappeared completely. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.

It started when the biguns discovered where Jack and Lucy traipsed off to late at night. They said nothing to the chief, but when his back was turned, they would taunt Lucy unmercifully - until she threatened to take Jack's knife and slit their throats when he wasn't looking, that is. They knew she would never do it, though. In the past few weeks, they'd learned that Lucy Everard was a filthy concubine full of nothing but b.s.

Roger, it seemed, had been planning his attack on her for days. His words still stung as she looked back on the event and realized that every single thing he said was true.

_"I know what you and Merridew do when everyone's asleep."_

He had been smirking. How she wanted to die right then and there.

_"What are you talking about?" _

Her voice sounded so weak in her own plaintive ears.

_"Don't play dumb. I saw you two. That's why Jack's kept you alive so long, isn't it? Maurice was right about you."_

This was his revenge. A girl had the audacity to take his place at his best friend's side, to punch him in the face, to order him about. Not this time though. He had Lucy scared out of her wits.

Her mouth hung agape. No sounds made their way out of her dry, cracked lips. It only made his smirk grow wider.

_"I've already told the others. They can't wait until he gets bored of you. We've been on this island for a long time now. It's only fair that he shares the spoils time and time again."_

Lucy had been horrified.

_"No. Jack wouldn't..."_

Laughter. Cruel, derisive laughter.

_"You don't know him like I do, Lucy. When he's done with you, he's done. And the response you've been giving him, it's only a matter of weeks before that happens."_

To be on the safe side, she took great care to make sure her boyfriend was as happy as possible. She neither challenged nor questioned him. She simply obeyed. It made her sick.

In the beginning, it hadn't been so bad. It was new and different. Now, she had never felt so tainted in her entire life. But she loved Jack. So much, that is hurt.

The existence of grown-up feelings in a child's heart is an enigma, to say the least. But Lucy was no child, that's for sure.

Perched next to Jack on his log, she waited as their tribe prepared for another feast. She was used to the ceremonial chant by now and watched under a mask of total apathy. The faster they got through with it, the better. She would eat, sleep, and die here. That was her future. That was her life written out on a page. A life of emptiness.

Lucy needed to get out. Now.

Wobbly, she rose to her feet. "I don't feel too well," she announced.

Jack looked at her with concern. "Are you sick?"

She waved him away. "No, I just need to go somewhere quiet for a while."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

With the entire tribe there to see the two of them skulk off to a secluded corner of the jungle? That's just what she needed.

"No," she told him firmly. "I need to be alone."

For a moment, Lucy thought he looked a little hurt as she walked away. Bitterly, she brushed away the approach. He didn't care.

She walked for a good ten minutes before finally settling down by a nearby stream. In the dim afternoon sun, she saw her reflection. Her blouse was worn, and her hair unkempt. Her face had become dirty and hollow, just like the rest of her. Small cuts lined her arms and legs, left by the untamed and tangled environment she lived in. Like her clothes, the bright light of her eyes seemed to have faded. It was almost as though she was looking into the eyes of a ghost.

In a way, she could have been. Lucy was dead inside.

Desperately, she plunged her hands into the water. Violent ripples disturbed its surface, but her reflection was still there. She tried and tried and tried, but she couldn't get rid of it. Even when she looked away, the image remained. The image of what she had become would be embedded in her mind forever.

With a final scream, she buried her face in her knees. She would always be Lucy Everard, the island whore.

"Lucy?" A tentative voice called from behind.

She turned around.

"Ralph." Her mouth became dry. They hadn't spoken in so long.

The fallen leader sat beside her and wrapped her in a brotherly embrace. Lucy collapsed against him. His warmth revived her.

"I'm sorry," Ralph told her quietly.

She let out a little laugh. "What could you have done?"

"Nothing," he remorsefully replied. "But you, on the other hand..."

She looked up abruptly. "What?"

He watched her reaction carefully. "You know where it is, don't you?"

Their green eyes met. An explanation went unspoken.

Lucy was unnerved. Her eyes widened, both in fear and uncertainty. "You mean go back? After all that's happened to me? How could I possibly-"

"How, Lucy? I'll tell you how," Ralph angrily cut her off. "Just take the watch and leave. Go back to your family. Away from this godforsaken island - away from Jack. Save yourself while you still can."

"I don't know if I can do that," she bit her lip anxiously.

"You know where he hid it. I know you do," he said exasperatedly. "Right now, you can go there and take it. Unlike the rest of us, Lucy, you still have the chance. Tell me. What more is left for you here?"

She tore her gaze away from him and tried her hardest to bite back the tears. "You know how I feel about him. You know what I've been through. Can I possibly go home after all that?"

"Home?" Ralph scoffed. "If you don't go back, there might not be any home left to go to." Suddenly, he took hold of her shoulders and shook her soundly. Lucy let out a yelp of surprise. "Don't you understand what's at stake here? If we don't get rescued, I'll never be able to go back home. I'll never get married and have your father, who will never marry your mother, who will never have you. What if, later on, one of us ended up doing something important? What if they never got the chance to do it? Don't you see, Lu? If you don't go back, all of us here, all of our families - they'll never exist. I swear to god, if you're willing to let that happen, if you're willing to change the future, then go on ahead, Lucy. Stay here and die."

His words hit her like a slap on the face. Her hands flew to her mouth.

"Good God!" She had never thought of that before.

Ralph released her and stepped back. They stared at each other for a long time before he spoke.

"Remember Lu," he said to her slowly. "You're not the only one the island has affected."

Gently, he took her hand and squeezed it, and then walked back in the direction he had come. He never turned back.

Lucy watched him go, her shoulders heavy with what she had to do.

All was silent until a gust of wind came her way. It whipped through her hair and past the trees as Lucy tilted her head skyward.

"I'm coming home," she smiled to herself. "Tonight."

* * *

**A/N: Ooh, what's gonna happen next? Of course, that's for me to know and you to find out. Don't worry! I'll try to update really soon. Reviews would be helpful in motivating me to do so (hint, hint.)**

**Sadly, Just Like Clockwork is coming to an end. I'm so excited. I've never finished a story in my life!**

**So yeah. Please review :)  
**


	15. Time Flies

**A/N: Here goes nothing.**

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Chapter 15 - Time Flies

They had been in the familiar thicket for quite some time now. It was a starless, moonless night. The air around her was heavy. Lucy predicted rain.

Beside her lay Jack, dragging his fingers sleepily through her hair. He always did that, whether he realized it or not. It was the one touch that did not make her feel dirty inside. She never planned on telling him that though.

Strangely, Lucy was calm. She was going to run away tonight and suddenly, everything would be over. She felt an odd sort of emptiness settle in her stomach. Was she really sad to leave this place? The place that robbed her of her naivety? The place that had murdered her friends? How could she be so stupid?

There so many things she would lose. Ralph, the littluns, Jack.

_Oh Jack._

Yes. He was the person Lucy would miss the most. She would miss the stolen kisses, the sound of his breathing, the fingers in her hair. His freckles, his icy blue eyes, his laugh. Even their nightly escapades held some weight in the equation. Jack Merridew had taught her how to grow up. _He_ had been the adventure after all.

But then comes the time when the worldly wanderer had to say goodbye and head on home.

Lucy's heart swelled. Beside her, Jack stirred.

"Lucy?" He removed his hand from her hair. Their fingers entwined.

"Yes?" She answered, remaining on her side.

"I... I love you."

"What?" She turned suddenly to face him. He had never told her that before.

"I love you," he repeated with more assurance and kissed her quickly on the cheek, grinning stupidly. He just made everything so much more difficult. Was it possible for someone to be so perfect and horrible at the same exact time?

"I love you too, Jack. No one else." Lucy nearly choked on her words upon realizing that it was true. He would always be her first kiss, first love, and first heartbreak. Would he be the last?

He paused for a second. "Do you suppose... Never mind," he shook the thought away, turning the slightest shade of pink.

"No, tell me. Please, Jack," she flashed him her cutest of smiles. Curiosity got the better of her.

His grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly. "Do you suppose... If we ever get back home, will you still love me?"

He sounded so much younger, so uncertain, so unlike Jack. She had only seen him like this once before, and it had been right after she recovered the watch. Swallowing hard, she nodded. "Of course, I will. Always."

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he drew her closer, planting kisses along her neck. "When the time comes, I want you to be the one I marry. Promise me that, will you Lucy?"

Here she was, getting proposed to by the boy she feared and hated and loved. She couldn't be happier.

"Yes, Jack," she said at last. "I'll marry you. I promise."

It killed her to know that she would never keep it.

* * *

An hour passed. Lucy was listening to the sound of Jack sleeping. It was safe to get up and look for the watch.

Very carefully, she removed herself from his embrace. Reigning in a sob, she pushed his hair away from his face and kissed his forehead. "Goodbye, Jack," she whispered. "I'll never forget you."

And she wouldn't. Each step she took would take her away from Jack, away from their thicket, from Ralph, away from the dreaded island entirely. Each step she took was so final, so determined. As if she knew she would never retrace them.

_Too many nevers_, she thought to herself as she headed to the clearing. The one with the pig's head on a stick. It was nothing but a skull by now.

She had found the watch much to easily. It lay, half in the dirt, half out. It had become a little tarnished and weathered by the occasional rainstorm, but it was real and it was whole. Holding it securely to her chest, she closed eyes and wished.

_Get me home. Get me away from here. Get me..._

Savage cries sounded in the distance. Oh no, they couldn't have discovered her disappearance already!

Automatically, Lucy broke off into a run. She headed toward the beach. Their old campsite. Not too many would think to look for her there. They thought she was playing a game, she reasoned. The one where they were the hunters and she was the hunted. Just like that, she realized how it must be like to be a pig.

No time to feel remorse. She would take care of that later. Leaping over tree roots and rocks, Lucy tripped and dove into the sand, the watch tumbling from her reach. Frantically, she scrambled to her feet and snatched it up in her arms.

No time at all.

Furiously, she tapped at the clock face, with its odd numbering, frozen at 19 and 55. The hands wouldn't budge. There were no earthquakes or flashes of coor or anything. With a sharp intake of breath, she tried harder.

_Take me away from this island. Take me away from my adventure. I want to go home._

The game was over. Lucy was tired of playing.

She heard their voices drawing near. Louder and louder, they came!

"Come on! Work, you stupid thing!" She whispered frantically, shaking it. It must happen, it had to happen. She was not going to die here.

"Please! _Please._"

At that, the golden watch began to vibrate, the clock hands turning rapidly rotating backwards.

"There she is!" A boy shouted.

The island behind her was all a blur as full scenes opened up before her eyes. Jack's face was looming over her, a smirk upon his face. Piggy was twitching hopelessly in the sand. Roger was pushing the boulder. And Simon, oh Simon, and all of that blood. The littluns were dancing and chanting wildly. Samneric were crying out about the beast on top of the mountain. The boy with the birthmark was being engulfed by flames. And Ralph. Ralph was there, patting her on the arm. Ralph was building the shelters. Ralph was blowing the conch.

Faces spun around her and the Lord of the Flies laughed manically in her ears.

"Running away now, are we, Lucy?" She heard Jack mock, but he was slowly growing fainter and fainter.

This was it, she thought as the world around her split open, sending her spinning and spinning through a whirlpool of light.

And then there was nothing.

* * *

The attic was all too familiar, all too silent. Lucy lay on the dusty floor in a daze. She blinked several times before she was able to digest her surroundings. The stacks of newspapers, the crates and photographs. Light streamed in through its single window, reflecting of the golden watch held loosely in her right hand.

Lucy promptly sat up, bringing the watch close to her face for examination. It was still clean and shiny, as though it had never seen the island at all. She looked down at herself in surprise, realizing that neither did she. Her clothes were pressed and unripped, her skin free of dirt and lacerations. Her hands flew to hair, only to find it washed, untangled, and a lot shorter than it had been just five minutes ago.

Faces flashed before her eyes. She saw Ralph discovering he was her grandfather. She saw Percival crying in the black night woods. She saw Jack telling her that he loved her.

All lost.

Good God. What was she doing, sitting here, gawking like an idiot? Lucy Everard was home.

"Mother?" She croaked. Her knees trembled terribly as she stood. "Mother! Aunt Eliza!" she cried. "Oh God, I'm here! You don't have to worry, I'm home! I'm home."

Two pairs of footsteps trampled their way up several flights up stairs and up the attic to Lucy. Aunt Eliza and her mother suddenly appeared, looking breathless and absolutely beautiful.

"Mother!" she sobbed and ran into her loving arms.

Rebecca Everard looked at her daughter in shock. "Goodness, Lucy! What has happened to you? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Burying her face in her sweater, she shook her head desperately. "I have, Mother. They're all as good as ghosts to me. Oh, you wouldn't understand."

Aunt Eliza walked briskly past the two and picked up the watch that lay forgotten in the dust. She gazed at Lucy in wonder. "Child," she murmured disbelievingly, "You didn't."

"Didn't?" Rebecca remarked impatiently. "Didn't do what?"

The older woman only looked at Lucy with a face full of empathy and understanding. She had treaded down that path before, long ago. "I think you should take this one home now. Please, Rebecca."

She took one look at her daughter and nodded silently. She would wheedle something out of her sooner or later. "Come on, Lucy. I think you've had enough exploring for one afternoon."

More like one lifetime, she wanted to say. But the poor girl followed her mother wordlessly. Stopping at the front of the drop down stairs, she turned to face her great-aunt. "Thank you," Lucy whispered and slowly retreated out of the musky attic. She didn't look back.

Eliza stared after her in pity. She was so young, to know so much. Turning her attention back to the source of both their burdens, she studied the watch at hand. It had brought an adequate supply of misery already.

Strolling toward the open corner window, she gazed out across her estate and sighed.

"So long boys." She allowed the watch slip through her fingers without another thought. Time slowed as it fell toward the Earth, eventually shattering against the pavement in her patio.

Eliza stayed at the window for just a moment longer before closing the glass and locking it shut. As she descending down the stairs, she exhaled wearily.

Oh, how the time flies.

* * *

**A/N: Epilogue will be posted soon, and all questions will be answered! **

**And ****e****lla****, I left that part vague to leave it up to the reader's imagination, but the way I saw it, it happened just the way you thought.**


	16. Epilogue: Too Many Nevers

**A/N: The final installment of Just Like Clockwork****. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and also, those who stuck with me through the entire story! Enjoy :)**

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Epilogue - Too Many Nevers

The hush of her bedroom was unbearable as Lucy sat at her desk - alone on her thirteenth birthday. It had been five months since what she liked to call, _The Incident_. Five long and lonely months, in which she kept to herself, speaking softly and smiling seldom. Only an idiot could not see how much she had changed.

Her parents made a huge fuss over her. They even tried to get her to see a doctor but she adamantly refused, locking herself in her room for several hours afterward. At the beginning, she had considered telling them about what happened to her in the attic but firmly decided against it. Knowing her mother and father, they would send her to some insane asylum in Australia.

No, Lucy was dealing with it the best way she could. And that meant not dealing with it at all.

Why couldn't she just forget about time travel and that stupid watch and be happy for once in her life? Why couldn't she be herself?

Lucy tried to remember the sunny little Pollyanna she used to be, way back when. Those days were long ago. How come it was so easy to change into one thing you hate, but so hard to change back?

She was home, for goodness sake! She was back with her family and friends, with food, a bed, and running water. She should be laughing and having fun. This was the day she had been waiting for for the first thirteen years of her entire life!

"Lucy, darling," her mother called from outside her door. She didn't sound too happy herself. "Please open up. There's someone here to see you."

Curiously, she sat up. "Who is it, Mother?"

"Only me, your Aunt Eliza," another, elderly voice spoke.

Immediately, Lucy shot up from her chair and unlocked the door, allowing the old woman in. "Oh," she exclaimed in surprise. "Hi. I mean, how are you?"

"From what I've heard," Eliza told her candidly, "All lot better off than you. If you could give us a moment, Rebecca, I'd like to present Lucy my gift in peace."

Her mother pursed her lips. "Of course. Take your time," she swept from the room, but not before giving the door a satisfying slam shut.

Aunt Eliza rolled her eyes. "She didn't want me to see you, you know. My nephew must have spent the last the last hour convincing her into letting me come to the house. Then again, William was always quite the charmer," she mused. Then suddenly, her face closed and she looked at Lucy with an odd intensity that was starting to make her uncomfortable. "I knew a boy like that once," she whispered, the dreaminess gone from her tone. "Something tells me you knew him too."

Lucy met her great-aunt's penetrating gaze. She was shocked to realize that they both had the same green eyes as the boy she was talking about right now. "You know I saw Ralph? And the island? And the watch? Have you seen him, too? Well, of course you did - he's your brother. You know what I mean," she finished, her face heating up rather quickly.

The old woman chuckled in response. "Yes, I did see him. Simon, Jack, Roger, and Piggy. I saw everything." For a second, they both relieved their long gone nightmares as though they had never stopped.

"But why, Aunt Eliza?" Lucy tentatively asked. "Why did it happen to us, to me of all people?"

She sighed and gently patted the young girl's cheek. "Come sit down, child," she said exhaustedly. "It's rather long story, and not one I enjoy telling." But, perched on the edge of Lucy's bed, Eliza told her story, which was surprisingly similar to her own.

"It's an old magic," she began. "Passed down from the males in our family, through, you guessed it - a watch. I don't quite understand it, but I do remember when our father gave it to Ralph. He explained to him what it was and how it worked and why it existed in the first place. As I have told you throughout the years, our family is old and rich in history. Simple words can't retell an adventure you know. What you need are _memories_.

"Of course, being an old family, we try to hold on to tradition. So, the boys got the fancy time traveling watches and us girls got a pearl necklace or another insignificant heirloom. I was always an impetuous child and I wouldn't have any of that. So, about a month after Ralph inherited the watch, I did the most foolish thing." Aunt Eliza paused to let out a tired sigh. "I stole it. Right from his bedside table."

Lucy was impressed. "Did you really? _I_ wouldn't even be that daring."

"Yes, and that is the one thing that sets the two of us apart," Eliza smiled sadly. "Your trip to the island was an accident. I only knew too well what I was doing, and I paid dearly for it. What happened to me there almost destroyed me. I was so young, as you can imagine, just around your age. Oh, I see so much of myself in you, Lucy. You have no idea."

"Do you think we, erm, made the same mistakes?" She couldn't help but wonder.

"Mistakes? Like what?"

She shrugged. "I don't know... Fall in love, perhaps."

The old woman laughed heartily. "Falling in love is never a mistake, no matter the outcome. I told myself that after I came to regret my infatuation with that Roger. Oh, it was so long ago."

Lucy did a double take. "Did you just say _Roger_? As in evil, boulder-pushing, pig-stabbing Roger?"

"The very same," her great-aunt replied coolly. "I found him unbelievably fascinating, with his quiet and mysterious ways. He was actually very kind to me - usually, anyways." She shook away the unwanted visions. "So, who was your mistake?"

Blushing horribly, she looked away. "Jack Merridew." She felt horrible after saying his name. It was as though her heart might break all over again.

Aunt Eliza patted her arm comfortingly. "I know how you feel, child. I thought I would never be the same again. But," she stood and dusted off her dress, "Life goes on. And look at you, my dear. Half a woman already."

"I feel so much older," she said before she could stop herself.

"Growing up is a shame, isn't it? But it's something that must be done. We can't be littluns forever. Life gets boring that way. Here, I know just what to give you." She handed her an old-fashioned, leather-bound notebook. "Happy Birthday, Lucy."

Lucy accepted the present appreciatively. "Thank you, Aunt Eliza. What a beautiful diary!"

Her great-aunt smiled shrewdly. "There are better ways of keeping track of your memories than in a watch, you know. Words can be powerful things, especially when they are written down."

"But what if there are somethings that you just want to forget?" She bit her lip uneasily.

"And why would you want to do that?" Aunt Eliza inquired, offering the girl a playful wink. Without another word, she turned around and walked out Lucy's door for the last time.

Still in shock from their unearthing conversation, Lucy went back to her seat at her desk. Gingerly, she opened the journal and thumbed through its crisp, white pages that were simply waiting to tell her story. Breathing in the glorious scent of a brand new book, she paused and allowed the words to come to her.

Her pen hovering over the first sheet, she mulled over what her great-aunt had told her. Perhaps trying to forget everything that happened was what was keeping her from moving on. To forget all that was, in fact, impossible. Why would she want to in the first place? It was on the island where she learned how to start fires, to hunt, and to love. The island taught her how to _let go_. And now it was time to let go of the island entirely.

Maybe everyone has to undergo an island at one point in their lives. How else can they discover themselves? How else can they grow?

All this time, Lucy had always considered her own person a stranger. She now knew herself quite a lot. She should use this newfound wisdom to benefit her own children, like how Aunt Eliza passed her knowledge on to her.

It was amazing that she never realized how smart that woman was, or how much they had in common. For once, she looked passed the battiness and saw a person full of heart. She felt stupid for never seeing it before.

How odd, that Eliza snatched the watch, went on an adventure, found love, and came back home again, leaving the ever-waiting-adventure for none but Lucy to find. And thus the cycle would start again. Who knows just how many girls before them fell into a similar trap? Who knows, indeed.

For the first time in several months, Lucy laughed. With all this talk of family watches and time travel, everything was bound to be just like clockwork in the end.

_FIN_.

* * *

**A/N: Wow. It's really over. Aw, I think I'm going to cry. Has it really been a year since it was posted? Eliza's right. Time really does fly. **

**I cannot thank any of you enough for taking the time to read this. I hope you enjoyed hearing about Lucy's epic adventure and I hope that you will have some of you own someday (not saying that I want you to get stuck on a remote island someplace, but you know what I mean :P).**

**Give me one last review before I kiss this story goodbye!**

**xoxo,  
Grace**


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